Fate Riot Night
by Miraishougeki
Summary: The story of Fate/stay night retold through the eyes of new heroes and familiar characters. The Holy Grail War of Fuyuki is once again set to begin with a major change from its original design. Instead of Heroic Spirits, the Great Grail instead calls forth Champions from the League of Legends as Servants to bring victory to their Masters.
1. Chapter 1

**_Note: _**_This story takes place within an alternate universe where a major divergence occurred during the Third Holy Grail War. Take note that this story features many details that are similar, but not quite equal to canon material. Either way, it features information that is often directly inspired by events throughout Fate/stay night (all routes) and Fate/hollow ataraxia. Heavy liberties were taken with character depictions of League of Legends characters due in part to the general open-ended nature of characters within that universe. If you dislike an interpretation, I request your apologies. Some parts of this story have been edited to comply with rulings and limitations brought by MA-rated material including extreme violence and explicit sexual content. Some parts of the story may thus seem awkward at times due to these modifications. While there is no genre tag for it, this is an action story and will thus carrying itself as one. I hope you will enjoy this choice._

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><p><em><strong>Original Characters<strong>_

_**Shizen, Tsubasa: **The main character and primary protagonist of the story. _Very popular with girls and often the subject of teasing by men due to his cute and effeminate appearance. _He is a young man who left the life of a magus behind in favour of a normal life. However, it seems fate has chosen to once again throw him into the world of magic._

**_Kriegel, Genon:_**_ A young magus from a relatively young magus family. Tall and lax in his posture, with a blend of lineage from his two parents that gives him both dark skin and bright blue eyes. He works as a convenience story clerk to blend in with normal society. While he is merely replacing his parents in the war, he has no regrets as he pursues his dreams and meets living legends._

**_Souza,__ Estevão: _**_Yet another young magus who killed one of his instructors in a duel. _Estevão_ has the stance, beauty, and authority befitting a noble despite his terrible reputation. His goals are fleeting and inconsistent even to himself, but he still carries himself into the Holy Grail War like a proper noble. _

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><p>The beginning approaches, but first a memory...<p>

The man looked me in the eyes firmly, enough to shake me to the very core of my being. In all the years of such dull expressions that raised me, this was the first time I felt any sort of firm emotion. And as much as others might not like his serious and impassioned manner, I was almost overjoyed to see my estranged father show any traits resembling human. For sure, this had something to do with the death of my grandfather, but what exactly it might be was outside of my understanding for the while.

"Tsubasa. What do you think of your training thus far?" My father's tone rings in my ears for a moment, but I soon regain enough courage to speak.

"It's hard...and it keeps getting harder every day." I respond, my voice just a little raspy due to my throat having been worked raw the past few weeks.

"And what about school? How are you enjoying life amongst the commoners?" He asks with the same quality as the last question.

"Well... It's been a little rough, too. But I've been doing well in my Speech and Choir classes!" I hurt my sore pharynx as I responded, a little too excited for my own good. The reaction seems to get a small nod from my parent.

"Then let me ask you something else. First off, you already know that to keep up the training your grandfather was giving you up until last week means you will someday have to surrender the hobbies you have in the human world. To join the family profession is to ultimately abandon the outside world to continue building the legacy our ancestors left. This means your hobbies in the outside world are pointless. But... I have no intention of pushing the decision on you." The man pats me on the head, making me confused as to what I should think. Going on with my training makes a normal life invalid? Why can I not simply keep up both? The question I asked myself never got a proper answer, but my father does give me something else to think about. "Tsubasa. Do you want to continue with the training, or do you want to live a normal life? As your father, I am obliged to give you this choice at least..."

I was somehow a little stunned. After these past few years, I had figured that living as both a magician and a regular person was possible somehow. But even if I were to work at both goals, I vastly prefer the one of someone normal. I was attached to my club, the speech classes, and my voice practice. By comparison, the routine training with my grandfather was dull and draining to the point that it was neither fun nor what I consider productive. At first my choir lessons were an escape, but now...that concert marked off on the calendar was part of who I was. So if I must choose one or the other...

"I don't want to live a normal life. I want to live my life in an extraordinarily normal way." I said with a great grin. While it may be what my family considers plain, I had no intention of being a regular person. That fact made me more than certain that I would be fine even if I turned away any further training in thaumaturgy. My father respected this choice and as a result, the training that I had started five years ago stopped completely.

Moreover, everything stopped soon enough. Not long after the concert, my father and mother both decided to send me to live with one of their contacts. Half a country away, I found myself living with a man whom I did not know. Then over time, I would be passed on to another family. Just like that, everyone that connected me to my former life was gone. Aside from that, everything else merely got shuffled around. My friends from my home town still remained my friends. My new parents enthusiastically raised me as if I was their real child. The only thing missing was my true family, which was conveniently written off any documents. If there was any sort of regret, it was there.

Mode: Nobody

Scene: Fuyuki Church

Time: Day 1, Midnight

The Fuyuki Church located in Shinto was always considered the center of activity for mediators. They represent a neutral party of the Holy Church, who would work to bring some balance to the great competition. That being said neutral is a very loose word considering the supervisors' many instances of picking sides. The goal, however, remains the same. Protect innocents from suffering at the hands of the cruel and heartless Masters. A simple job once made difficult by the outside party's lack of Masters. Unlike most wars, one of the two chosen priests was a man named Kotomine Kirei, a surviving Master from the Fourth Holy Grail War.

In this Fifth Holy Grail War of Fuyuki, the Church's pair of operatives include Kotomine Kirei—due to his experience—and a woman who was none other than Kotomine's daughter, Caren Ortensia. While the woman named Caren has been given the honour to oversee and enact the full mission statement as a neutral party and peacekeeper just the same as her father, the glowing red symbol on the hand of Kotomine was a clear sign that he was performing a special duty she was not a part of. Even if he did not win in the last war, the Grail still recognized him as one of its Masters. As such, the Command Seal was forever until someone can finally claim the Great Grail's wish.

What is this Holy Grail War? What does it entail? The answers are many, but for the time being one merely needs to know that is a bloody conflict. Just as its name implies. And for those thrust into this gamble where death is the cost of failure, there is hardly any time to find a true answer to the madness.

Mode: Caren Ortensia

After a few moments of deep thinking, I finally examine the game board at the center of the room. When first placed on its current spot, I remember seeing only four pieces have that eerie glow. While they remained normal game pieces, I could not help but feel there was some sort of life within them. So to see that blasphemy across the board as it was now made it all the more strange. No matter how much I tried to remind myself that they were nothing more than painted wood, I could not help but feel they were fellow occupants of the Church.

My eyes drift over the board once more. I see that most of the Pawns, be they white or red, have chosen to come to life with glows of strange colours. In addition, I began to look over those other pieces behind each line of pawns. The Castles and Knights of Black, a Bishop of Black, the King and Queen of Black, and seven of the Black Pawns were all glowing a faint purple. White was less complete, host to its Castles, a single Knight, no Bishops, the King and Queen, and four of the White Pawns having a blue luminescence to match the opposing purple. For each one illuminated, there was a Servant or a Master that has completed the summoning ritual. To see so many active Servants was worrisome.

"Father..." There was a vague undertone in my voice, acknowledging Kotomine Kirei for both his position as a priest and as my blood parent. It was a convenient word to mask my uncertainty. "How many Servants will the Grail Summon?"

"In the first two wars, there were seven. Then during the Third Holy Grail War, there was an unplanned eighth Servant. After that, it seems the number became unpredictable. This board implies there will be sixteen Servants and sixteen Masters, but even then we cannot be sure. However, today is a rough deadline for new Masters. Even if more arrive later, those already active after tonight are free to begin the war." Kotomine explains everything without missing a beat, his voice deep, but polished in a manner befitting a priest. I took in what he said, but could not give an immediate response.

"Then the only constant are the classes? The battle has certainly become inconvenient. And with so many combatants, the chances of collateral damage are unsettling." I said, recalling already that there were a few cases of people mysteriously losing consciousness due to an unknown source. The media believes it to be gas leaks, but I know better. More than likely, it was the preparations of a Master and his Servant to blame.

For a moment, I recall the various archetypes. The effigies that come to serve as the base for each of the Servants. Each build is called a Class. The ones I was told in advance come to mind for a moment. The many cards that hold great power...

Saber, the Knight of the Blade.

Archer, the Knight of the Bow.

Lancer, the Knight of the Spear.

Rider, the Mounted Soldier.

Caster, the Magus.

Berserker, the Mad Warrior.

Assassin, the Silent Killer.

...and two more. The latter two were special. And my presence in this war was connected to this unique property. During the Third Grail War, the battle ended in a stalemate. The only surviving Servant, Avenger, was left without a Master and returned to the Grail of his own volition. As he did, the Great Grail became split by its internal laws and those of the invader. It was a split significant enough that the Holy Great took on two simultaneous identity. The Great Grail of Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern, and the Great Grail of Angra Mainyu. Both were truly powerful Grails, but between both of them is still a single wish.

Ten years ago, the conflicting Grails made it impossible for a wish to be granted. In the end, the winner could only watch as the two Grails waged a second war in the flames of the first. Then with a mighty strike, two opposing forces became two separate ones. And with it, a new rule was made. Unlike in the last war, where the two Grails summoned Servants as one... The two Great Grails are left independent to summon their own warriors to provide to the Masters. From there, it is just a question of who will be the last pair standing as with all Grail Wars before.

Should the Masters and Servants of Justeaze (called Blue Team by overseers) be defeated, the Great Grail of Angra Mainyu will be given the right to grant the winner's wish. But shoul Masters and Servants of Angra Mainyu (called Purple Team) fall in battle, the Great Grail of Justeaze von Einzbern will earn the right to answer the victor's desire. There is little difference in the results of the wishes, but it remains a troublesome addition to an already contrived and flawed system.

While most of the Masters need not take sides, there are two Masters who are given no other choice but to ally with the Great Grail's two aspects. I am one such Master. While I lack the necessary Magic Circuits to properly receive a Command Seal that represents one's position as a commander of a Servant, I was still chosen to be the Master of the Blue side's Ruler-class Servant. A great and powerful Servant rivalling and perhaps even surpassing Saber, considered to be the most powerful normal class, in power. As a member of the Church, I was advised to stand as a neutral party as long as possible. As such, I will not be actively participating in battle without direct consent from the Great Grail of Justeaze.

The Purple side of the war is not without its equivalent. Instead of Ruler, the Great Grail of Angra Mainyu has the Servant Avenger to represent its directive in the war. However, while Justeaze's Blue Grail has chosen to speak with outsiders directly, the Grail of those under the unrecognized Purple banner have no word from Angra Mainyu on his personal warrior. From what information there is on the Third Grail War though... Avenger was a weak Servant that had a tiny chance of victory due to terrible combat abilities. It would be naïve to think such of this new Avenger, but nothing can be certain. What can be certain though is that the Church prefers to see the original Grail as the one worth supporting in this new battle.

"Tohsaka Rin is the last Master candidate we will be expecting for this war, so I will be sure to remind her today that she must summon her partner or else give up and take shelter. Until then, we can turn in for tonight. It should be getting quite noisy in the next few days." Kotomine says as he looks over the board one last time, as if watching for movement.

"Yes, Father. Good night." I keep my response short as I give my parting greeting. Once the priest of Fuyuki Church leaves, my attention is drawn to the third entity in the room. Ruler scarcely left the altar most of the time, but Kotomine Kirei's Servant, a relic from the last war, often followed his Master like either a friend or a fellow warrior. Fittingly, he seemed to have the same reaction to the revision of the Holy Grail War's rules as Kotomine Kirei did. And just as fittingly, this Servant—if he can truly be called that—seemed to be eagerly be waiting for the moment when the war began.

The same as with my father, I give a polite "Good Night" to the form seated patiently. He gave only a slight reaction before I left, leaving me wondering what to think about such a being remaining neutral during this conflict. There were numerous unknowns, but the ruthlessness of this war was clear. What warrior would pass up such a competition? The question haunts me until I finally fall asleep.

Mode: Shizen Tsubasa

Scene: Omori Residence

Time: Day 1, Early Morning

Memories of my childhood haunt my thoughts as I finally made my way downstairs. The last big conversation with my blood father. The concert that sealed my destiny as a normal person. And the moving around I did to finally arrive in the home of my current family. As eventful as that one year was, the five years since then have been plain and peaceful. And while the present was plain and simple, I was enjoying myself for the most part. I had recently come home from a concert in Kyoto, so I should have still been in an eager mindset at the very least. It was more of a pleasant life than I could ever ask for from the heavens.

That being the case, I ended up having a dream about my long-detached father. Even though he was my biological father, the only thing left of him that people can see is my surname—Shizen. If not for my decision to keep the name, I might have long ago taken up that of my new guardians, the Omori family. Omori Takumi and Omori Michiko were wonderful parents, far better than the head of the Shizen clan. Yet despite their support and trust, neither of them knew that I was once the potential scion of a magus family.

Yes, that's right. Magicians. Sorcerers. Spellcasters. As fantastic as it may be, there is no other way to say it. I had spent the first five of the last ten years studying magic from my grandfather. It was because of his death that I got the chance to escape that life and live to pursue the much happier one I enjoy now. The only evidence that I had to prove my magical pedigree was the Magic Crest on my chest. I have no regrets passing up that life as a reclusive academic studying arcane arts. I vastly prefer my current hobbies and practices.

My foster parents greet me, not questioning that I was up so early. It was normal for me to be up by six so that I could have lots of time to prepare for school and the choir. A simple routine that has ingrained itself into my lifestyle for the longest time. Fittingly, it meant that I would leave for school just before Omori Takumi would leave for work. And since I often stayed late at school, my return home usually coincided with Michiko's own return. The family was so well streamlined that I almost question how much trouble it might cause when I finally join at a university.

With all that in mind, breakfast goes along without much incident. A few bits of conversation keep me awake throughout the meal, but by half past six I was all set to head to school. Class would not begin for well over an hour, so I had all the time in the world to make it once I made my departure. Making a simple farewell to my parents, I start off down the hill towards the intersection. Just like always, there is no one around to be seen. Since it was so early, I did not expect anything less. On occasion I might give a kind wave to some of the early risers, but little more than that. I was fine with this quiet over being around larger crowds. Being as terrible around people as I am, I would likely still head to school early even if I was not part of a club.

"Shizen-kun?" A small chirp of a voice catches my ear. As I start to turn, I recall one uncommon occurrence that happens a few days out of the week. Saegusa Yukika, a girl from my class, was not that far behind me. It seems that she had just arrived from one of the various streets along the road to Homurahara Academy.

Saegusa was a member of the Track Team and would thus head to practice early like myself. Moreover, she was something of beloved companion to everyone in our class. And in my case, specifically ever since I moved to Fuyuki, she has been a good friend. On a number of occasions, I had even gone over to her house and gotten to meet her parents and younger brothers. If I had to put people into a categories, Saegusa would definitely go into the enjoyable section.

"Good morning, Saegusa. I guess you have practice this morning, eh?" I said in a small voice, laughing nervously. Saegusa seems pleased with my question though.

"Good morning to you, too." She says, not much louder than me, but with far more presence. "You still haven't memorized when I have practice yet? We always meet up, so I thought it was common knowledge to you."

"Oh, well... I guess I have, but I still asked..." I start trailing off, not quite sure how to continue. I speed up my pace for a bit, but soon enough, Saegusa was walking alongside me. Somehow I felt embarrassed at my words, regretting adding that extra question.

"Don't let it worry you, Shizen-kun." Saegusa manages to dispel my worries enough for me to manage a smile. As much as I enjoy my speech and choir abilities, it feels like they were doing nothing for my people skills. I get this flustered from talking to people I know, yet it gets even worse with others. "Are you free this weekend?"

Saegusa's question yanks me out of my thoughts and draws my focus back to her smile. It takes a moment for me to comprehend the question. "Yeah, I am. Why?"

"Well, I was going to go out somewhere with Kaede and Kane this weekend and was wondering if you might want to come, too." Saegusa says without a pause. Makidera Kaede and Himuro Kane are friends of Saegusa. The three of them are seen as an inseparable trio around the school. Since I always end up being dragged along with them, it seems I'm somehow becoming associated with them as well. I am not sure if that is good or bad though.

"Oh... It could be fun, I guess. As long as Makidera doesn't tease me. Last time she made me wear a bow in my hair..." I recall a time when I was in town with Saegusa Yukika, Makidera Kaede, and Himuro Kane and stupidly accepted a challenge from Kaede. All I had to do was win a plush teddy from a prize grabber before she could. I never got a turn though because she won in the first go. For the rest of the day my hair was tied into a side-tail by the most cartoonish bow I had ever seen (courtesy of the nabbed teddy).

"That was just a silly joke, don't let it get to you." Saegusa comforts me, making me relax just a bit. Not completely though given that she was still so close to me.

Scene: Homurahara Academy

Time: Day 1, Morning

It was about seven in the morning when I arrived on the grounds of Homurahara Academy. It was from there that I would soon part from Saegusa who was on her way to her club practice. Around me, I take note of several other clubs going about their morning practice. I might have rushed straight to my club too if I did not spot an unexpected character heading over to the archery building. The archery club captain, Mitsuzuri Ayako, was leading the way for a face I knew all too well. Of course I did. No one at this school did not at least hear of the legendary Tohsaka Rin.

As I blindly stare in her direction, the girl wearing the red coat over her uniform looks at me with the most unexpected of glances. For a moment, I feel my insides freeze over. Yet my reaction was for nothing as Tohsaka faces forward again and continues to follow Mitsuzuri. This girl...was something of an idol many of the men in this school dreamed of. Not only that, but she was every bit a prodigy to add to her charms. The only troublesome thing about her was that she seemed to be disconnected with most people. I am sure she had friends (Mitsuzuri seems to get along with her, for one), but I also could not help but think of her as a loner. That somehow has an allure with me that I would never admit to anyone.

Come to think of it, Saegusa was a big fan of Tohsaka. It was a little strange, but it seems that this girl was popular with everyone for a number of reasons. Not just the obvious attraction. It was almost like she was the main character of some poorly written novel. I will never understand how the world decides things, but at the very least it could have made Tohsaka Rin seem a little more like a normal human. Maybe then I'd be able to approach her. I despair to myself for a little, then take a deep breath. Only a moment had passed during my inner monologue, so I was still within decent range to watch her leave. Or maybe say hello. It was not a wide gap.

In the end, my voice never leaves my lips. And before I knew it, the pair had vanished into the archery dojo. As soon as they did, I regained myself and rushed off for my club meeting. As I arrived, I find that I was among the last to arrive. Not letting it bother me, I excuse myself and join the others.

...after practice...

After an especially long morning practice, I would find myself heading to class. Homeroom would be quite soon, but I had plenty of time to arrive in my classroom. As I enter, I quickly glance over the room in hopes of locating someone. The one I was looking for was nowhere to be seen. With a troubled groan, I head to my seat near the back of the class. Once I get within a few steps of my desk, I hear a familiar voice call out to me.

"Well if it isn't Shizen-kun. You're not looking as pathetic as you usually do." Matou Shinji says in a mocking voice. I take no offense in it, but still I feel a sharp bit of pain in my chest. Glancing back at him, I see a someone off-balance smile on his face. I knew him well enough to know something was bothering him, but since I have no self-destructive desires at the moment so I immediately suppress my curiosity.

"Good morning, Shinji-senpai..." I said before sitting down. Shinji almost seems annoyed with my reaction, but I pay it no mind. He seems to give up his attempts to make me react after a moment, but he does not seem close to done talking to me.

"Can you believe the nerve of that Tohsaka? Not too long ago I gave her a polite invitation to watch the archery club practice, but she just turned up her nose and insulted me. There's stuck up, then there's that woman..." Shinji begins to rant, complaining about something that makes me raise an eyebrow.

"Tohsaka Rin did that?" The thought of Tohsaka saying such a thing was beyond my comprehension, but I quickly remember that this was Shinji after all. Compensating for his exaggerations was almost a reflex by this point. "So that's why you're in a bad mood?"

"Me? In a bad mood? Of course not, I was merely stating that Tohsaka is an egotistical demon." Shinji said one thing, but the way he was tapping his pencil on the desk made it all too clear that he was furious. It might be an especially bad day for someone in the archery club. "Don't worry though, I'm sure Tohsaka will give up that act and show me the respect I deserve. Someday soon."

I seriously doubted what he said, but I nod as if I agree. It was not worth disputing anything with Shinji. His grin bothered me a little, but I shrug off the anxiety I was feeling. Instead, I look up at the clock. It seems that it was getting close to eight o' clock. Class was going to start very soon, but the person I was hoping to see was not in yet. For some reason, I was tempted to go look for him, but the threat of leaving Shinji alone while he rants about his problems was a bad idea. So for the time being, I just stared at the clock.

Then I see the door open up. Then from the hallway, two people enter the classroom. One of them is the head of the student council, Ryuudou Issei. The other is the very person I was hoping to see. The moment I spot Emiya Shirou, the second of the new arrivals, I feel my cheeks flush brightly. Then unable to help myself, I quickly wave at Shirou to catch his attention. The attempt is a success and he gives a simple wave and a smile in return. Just that makes me feel like waiting all this time was worth the patience.

Realizing just how over the top my reaction was, I take a deep breath and recollect myself. It seems Shinji was giving me a strange look, but I was used to it. More importantly, I resume waiting for Emiya Shirou to return to his desk (which was conveniently in front of mine). Shirou was not too outstanding of a figure, as far as I knew. However, ever since we met back in middle school he has done nothing but help me. Talking down people who might mess with me, chasing away the more rowdy girls in a civilized manner, helping my club with our occasional technical issues... Is it any surprise that I somehow place him on a tier of respect slightly higher than my teachers?

After a short pause, the bell rings loudly. In about five minutes, homeroom was going to begin. While Shirou did end up coming to sit with Shinji and myself, I never could manage to raise my voice for more than a greeting. For some reason I was able to talk with Shinji, but now that there were two others conversing, I had sadly melted into the background once again. What did bother me was that Shinji was being especially cruel to Shirou as well, likely for the reason he spoke about earlier. It must be troublesome for him to be this annoyed by a simple rejection.

Shirou on the other hand never seemed to take offense with Shinji's obvious insults. While I occasionally felt depressed or somewhat bothered with his superiority complex, Shirou never broke down and seemed to truly enjoy being in Shinji's company. It was partly because of this that I even started to tolerate Shinji myself. If not for a certain incident the year before, the three of us would likely still be undeniable friends.

"How was your practice today, Tsubasa?" Shirou speaks to me, bringing me out of my subvocal monologues and back into the real world. I could not help but grow nervous for a moment. Shirou waits patiently for my reaction, making me laugh a bit to cover my awkward pause.

"It was fine, Shirou-senpai. The speaker you fixed never gave us trouble again, either." I replied once I was fully able to control my voice. As I recall the time Shirou miraculously fixed a broken speaker, I cannot help but think of Shirou as the ultimate handyman.

For the next few moments, I continue to tell Shirou about my club and our recent concert last weekend. However, before I can get full-swing into my talk, a slowly approaching voice catches my attention. The class soon does the same as we listen to our beloved homeroom teacher dash toward us. As she nears, I realize that she is saying "I'm late!" over and over again. And judging by how quickly the volume was going up, she was running down the hall with all haste. Before I knew it, our teacher—Fujimura Taiga—flew into the door mid-dash.

This woman, who came hurtling in so recklessly that she slipped, fell, bashed her head on her podium, and fell unconscious was the homeroom supervisor for Class 2-C. She was the teacher in charge of the archery club and a close acquaintance of Shirou's. Despite being a teacher, she was often the last person one would associate with an instructor. She was eccentric, yes, but she was also irresponsible in numerous ways. What other teacher would worry her students by falling and cracking her head on...oh, right. It seems she hurt herself...

For all my cool thoughts were worth, I could almost tell that my own face was just as troubled as my fellow students. A number of people began to chatter on about whether or not Fujimura was okay or not. She was not moving, so it was at the very least alarming, but just maybe her living habits have finally killed her…

"Maybe we should try that?" One student says after a while.,

"Yes, that." A girl responds to him, leaving my mind to immediately drift to what they meant by 'that.'

Fujimura Taiga has a nickname that she detests so much, it is likely to bring about great fury. Why she hates it so much is outside of my knowledge, but it seems she simply finds it unsuitable for a girl's nickname. Whatever the reason, our teacher's distaste for that nickname was so high that while everyone began to attempt to call out to her, Shirou and Shinji both seemed to lower their heads in preparation for a storm.

"Wake up, Tiger."

Most of the class said this in a voice so low that it was less than a whisper. The response was a twitch from our instructor on the floor. Then like a bunch of livestock with no fear of death, the class began a simple uproar in an attempt to wake Fujimura with her nickname. Soon enough, she would explode from the floor and scream with the ferocity of...well, a tiger.

As she wakes with a distinct "Don't call me TIGER!" I feel a sense of relief and start gathering my things once again. The distraction was a little bothersome, but I was not one to complain about such things anyway.

Time: Day 1, After School

Despite it being such an eventful morning, the day overall had little to over beyond the norm. And so just like usual, I started gathering my things in preparation to go to after school practice. As I did, I overhear Ryuudou Issei speaking with Emiya Shirou about helping with further repairs. It seems that Shirou could not work on them due to work. That's right, Shirou has jobs in various places in town. Being in a club, it is within my best interest to not have any sort of job. Knowing all this, I feel a bit down about Shirou not being in the archery club.

At least when Shirou was in his former club, we'd often walk home together. Nowadays I tended to never see him because he worked all his jobs. And even more troublesome is the six o' clock curfew that was put in place in recent weeks in response to the murders in town. Actually, it is unsettling to know that Shirou is always out late. Enough that I could not properly focus on any one thought until I made it to my club. Throughout the practice though, I cleared my head of my companion and managed to keep focus on my duties.

As I finally left, I beheld the late evening sky with a bit of a daze. The red sky looked almost like a sea of blood speckled with soaked crimson pieces of cotton, an image I had ever since I was a kid. To begin, blood makes me sick. Back when I was still learning magic, I would always lose face when it came to spells that required the use of those precious crimson drops. This innate fear of something so basic has been a bane for as long as I can remember, making me thankful I was not in a place where blood would be a common substance.

Taking a deep breath, I lower my focus and scan over the visible campus. The track team was still running for the time being, so I am almost tempted to watch. Even though there's still some time before curfew, I might be better off going straight home like one of my other teachers, Kuzuki Souichirou, told the class. That serious man saying such a serious thing made me almost want to give in to his words without question.

Thinking about it though, the track team likely would not keep their members for too late with the things going on in town. With this as my justification, I eventually find a nice spot in the shade as I watch the runners. While the track team had both boys and girls, I found myself looking over the female half of the club. It took little time for me to pick out Saegusa Yukika from the bunch. Not a moment after I saw her did she spot me and give a wave. I felt a little embarrassed over her noticing me, but obediently I wave back to her. As I do, I begin to recall that Saegusa was actually a very good runner. She was a decent role model if there ever was one.

For some reason, I could not completely focus on her running today. Admittedly, seeing her in the light PE uniform she was wearing had me unwittingly staring at the various points of her figure that I sometimes missed when she was dressed normally. She was hardly blessed with the features of an ideal 'fantasy' woman, but she was still stunning to look at. It does not help that she's both reliable and charming. Or maybe I am just thinking too much. Whatever the case, I do not break my focus until it becomes obvious that the track team as finally finishing up.

I check my watch and realize its been only about ten minutes, meaning my little break was over before I could get lost in it. Straightening my posture, I start heading toward the gate before I hear a voice call out to me. I almost stumble when I see Saegusa running towards me. I immediately sink into my shell as she reaches me, terrified of getting in trouble for some groundless reason my mind came up with.

"Heading home now?" Saegusa asks, unaffected by the bit of hesitation I was showing. "If you don't mind waiting a little longer, we can walk home part-way. It has been getting dangerous lately, so having someone around is always nice."

"Walk together...? Yeah, I guess that is okay. I'll just wait by the front entrance then, Saegusa." I could feel my face scorching already.

"Alright, I won't keep you waiting then!" She says, as if somehow overjoyed to hear what I said. It would be nice to think she liked me or something, but I get the feeling she is far too casual for that to be a possibility.

While I had been expecting her to come alone with me, I was met with an unexpected turn of events. Instead of just Saegusa, Makidera and Himuro were also with us. Fittingly, things became confusing fast as they often do. But at the very least, I was able to enjoy the end of my day before settling right back into the usual daily routine.


	2. Chapter 2

Mode: Tohsaka Rin

Scene: Tohsaka Mansion

Time: Day 2, After Midnight

Everything was gone perfect so far. Aside from the time it took to fix the clock in my basement, I had made all the time necessary to prepare the summoning circle. Instead of using blood, I used some of the gems I had been charging throughout my life. I even timed the ritual carefully so that it would be complete at 2am, the peak of my magical power. According to Kotomine, there were at least eleven Servants active in this war. With so much competition, there was little option but to draw one of the most powerful card. The Saber class.

Among the various Servants in each war, Saber has made it to the final battles in every single one. Even if the Holy Grail War is little more than a bloody game of domination with a high chance of failure, it is worth it to put effort into getting yourself the best possible weapon. After all, it is entirely possible that I might be up against multiple Saber-class Servants. Only Berserker serves as a decent alternative, but I would not like to put my hopes in a class that usually ends up destroying its own Master. So, Saber it is...

I block out unnecessary thoughts and focus on the ritual. Slowly my voice carries on the cursed ritual, plunging me unavoidably into the great pit of despair. Yet rather than seeing it as a gravestone that marks the end of my life, I instead see a gateway leading me to absolute victory. As I complete the incantation, I feel a blade pierce my heart. The shock almost takes me off my feet, but when I open my eyes, there was no one harming me. Instead would I could see was a massive blue circle of light with a white-haired maiden at its center. Behind her was an effigy not unlike a featureless doll. The woman bathed in blue light then speaks to me. I cannot understand a word, but the intent was obvious.

_Seeker of the Holy Grail, will you become a Knight? A vanguard for the march of victory?_

The phrase reached me even if I could not hear a thing. And without a thought, I scream my answer back at the blue light. The woman had already gone, leaving only an effigy that was now cracking apart as if some outside force was hammering it with a chisel. As it does, I feel immense pressure when one part of the effigy begins to flake off. Numerous broken pieces begin to fall, slowly revealing a humanoid figure from within. The first truly outstanding thing that caught my eye was pale hair. Then I began to see a feminine silhouette. Then a large blade. I could only grin as it became clear that I had gotten the sword I wished for. The most powerful card from the deck.

"I accept the position, Great Grail of Justeaze." I say in belated response, getting a reaction from the woman who had just been freed from the Pass.

"I see, then that means the contract is complete." The voice of the woman speaks in the place of the Grail, lowering her large sword until it vanished from sight. Despite being a knight of the sword, I noticed that the armour for my Servant was a bit light. Still, it was undeniably the Saber class. "Let us bring this war to a close before it brings pain to those who cannot fight back."

No, this was not armour, something was very, very off with this picture. That outfit looks almost like... "I managed to get Saber, but it seems I still managed to botch the summon..."

"Is there something wrong, Master?" Asks the Servant, wearing an outfit that was one of a fetishy bunnygirl. She did not seem to notice just yet, but she would soon. Knowing this, I tried to pretend it was not there and made myself formal once again.

"Saber. We will rest tonight. Tomorrow, however, I will show you my town. I would prefer to have you know your way around at least a little before that priest starts everything up...

Mode: Genon Kriegel

Scene: A Certain Convenience Store

Time: Day 1, Afternoon

At long last, the latest rush was over and done with. It was about half past noon now, meaning I had about two hours of decreased traffic. That assumption implies that it was a good day. With the lapse now upon me, I take a breath and begin scanning over my workplace. It was a simple convenience store, nothing special. However, it has been playing a vital role in keeping my wallet decently filled with paper funds. Not that I really needed money compared to what my family has been spending on preparation. Over the past two years, I have been slowly building up my personal resources for a number of reasons. Although most recently, it was in preparation for the conflict that would soon begin in Fuyuki City.

The Kriegel family, my lineage, has been a magus family for the past few generations. While we are hardly traditional, there is no question that we are determined to research the mysteries of Thaumaturgy. That interest has been dwindling over the generations, however. While my great-great grandparents saw it worth it to throw away their old lives to build toward magic, my mother and father by comparison, have more or less made their magecraft into a hobby. So it is only logical to think I would end up with a strange view on the whole subject.

To summarize, I am quite a fan of magecraft. No, it is not the sort of thing one normally considers fun, but I cannot help but see this family legacy as something of a blessing. While most kids grew up slowly learning that the things they love were fake, my own childhood was quite the opposite. For all those superhero shows and mecha anime I saw, I would always put thought into just how magic could help me achieve similar results. A means to an ends most people think is nothing more than high fantasy. For every single danger I was warned about, there were a dozen things for me to ignore the threats to my life.

For all the aptitude of my family, a reasonable amount of magical potential has been slowly growing since we began practice. From what I hear, my great-great grandparents of the Kriegel line had one Magic Circuit on one side and zero on the other. And my parents had three and two, respectively. Developmental-wise, my family was above average when considering that normal people rarely have such traits. Everything else though came from careful negotiation with the Mage's Association for marriage meetings with families to hopefully increase the number. But considering that Magic Circuits are often a mutation, there was always the chance (albeit an incredibly small one) that the child might have an extra circuit or two despite lineage.

The Magic Circuits, pseudo-neural pipelines that convert life sources into prana, are the foundation for most—if not all—magecraft in use by practitioners of Thaumaturgy. By learning to control them, it is possible to create mysteries and miracles normally beyond natural reality. With those in my family, we were par for the course as far as magic was concerned. Yet by some amusing stroke of luck, I ended up with thirteen Magic Circuits, more than double of those of my parents put together. So not only was I given a life where I would be tempted to abuse the wonders of magic, but I was even provided the means to do just that. Funny how things work in this world, isn't it?

This brings me to the subject of the Holy Grail War. My family sought participation some years ago, moving us without permission of the local Tohsaka clan to park ourselves in front-row seats to the battle. The reason for such was the interesting symbol that appeared on me a great while back. The Command Seal had given me passage into a conflict that was (in the words of my grandmother) more or less meant to be a stranglehold for power by really old and grumpy magical clans.

The opportunity was an honour for us, but as far as I was concerned this conflict was not my ideal means of reaching my goals. Sure, the reward was great, but the risks were ridiculously high even for me. Yet even with those negatives, I still ended up making as many preparations as I could for the war. Even more troubling was that before my generation, the family had nothing resembling an offensive spell. While I had done work to put a few into my library, all of them lacked any proper combat tests. It was almost funny that I would actually have the chance to use them.

I finally stop letting my mind wander and began thinking of business. I had already bought a large order of cheap metals some days ago, so I might be able to make one more round of profit before the war starts. It did not matter much though, since my family has been making gold, silver, and other precious metals in sparing amounts for the past few generations. Just enough to score a profit, but not enough to turn heads or weaken the market. And since we move around so much, no one ever knows us long enough to ask where we got our resources from. The family's last batch of converted treasures was currently in the hands of my parents, who were heading to the Americas to sell off the bulk.

Monetary-wise, our affinity for manipulating metals makes us a formidable foe to even rich families. It does help that we are unafraid of intermingling with non-magical groups to find buyers, too. This gives us all the money we need to fund our research, which often involves a lot of rare earths and iron dust to use with our spells. In the absence of my parents and my grandmother in Germany, I am left on the battlefield all on my own. It was quite a feeling, but turning down the fight seems like a waste even if it does has an insanely low survival rate.

With a glance at the nearest clock, I notice that my shift was almost over. Once I was out, my two week "vacation" was set to begin. With this my last loose end before the war got underway. If everything worked out well, I would vanish from the public eye completely until everything came to a close. That is, if the public does not suffer a cruel and unusual fate in the meantime. After all, this is the war that brought a great blaze that reduced a large part of Fuyuki's Shinto district to ash.

Scene: Kriegel House

Time: Day 1, Late Afternoon

Fuyuki City is divided into two halves by the Mion River. One side is known as Shinto and looks everything like one would expect of a modern city. Tall buildings and numerous businesses decorated the area in a very familiar way. The other side is known as Miyama and is more of a traditional residential district. From there Miyama can be considered as distinct parts as well. The residential area has places where Japanese-style homes are more common and another where more western abodes are present. There was even an area that was host to various foreign-style mansions.

My workplace was in Shinto, but my family's house was in Miyama. It was a fairly normal place that was not meant to stand out, so it required very little magical enchanting to keep passersby out. The house has two floors, an attic, and a decently-sized basement. If there was any magic used in the building's construction, it was with convincing one neighbour to essentially allow the area under their own house to be partial extension of our own basement. A change that was followed up by making the poor man move out to make room for the work. Said neighbour never came back, even though his house was somewhat re-erected later on. A little magic must have been used on others as well because no one seems to remember why that place is abandoned. I do hear rumours about hauntings though.

That large basement was my family's workshop, home to all our magical research and resulting projects. It was here that a specific magic circle had been carved into the floor and its crevices filled with mercury. This was to be the center of power for my Servant as well as the place where I would begin the summoning ritual. It would not be for several hours, but all the same it was set up just in case. Moreover, there was still lots of preparations left in some senses. Instead of blood sacrifices, I intended to merely activate the ritual as though force of will not unusual for my family. Aside from that, a few small containers of drawn blood was the only materials I would need to manage.

As for the spell that would begin sometime in the evening, it was not very different in execution of the Kriegel's alchemy. Our blood normally serves as the magically-charged agent that morphs one element into another, but on this day it would not be that way. It would be a careful transfiguration of the mercury into gold, but at the end of which there would be more than valuable treasure. In the first three wars, Servants could be influenced by artifacts. In this war and the fourth one a decade before, there was something of an exception, but I had no doubt that gold as a catalyst would make for a rare or perhaps noble Servant. That thought kept me focus on the slow process of altering the circle in front of me. The first traces of gold would not be until a few hours into the spell, but I was no stranger to waiting for my success. Especially not with some music playing to help me focus.

After the first fifteen minutes, I finally started to see the mercury begin to move through the cuts in the stone floor move like rivers along some invisible bed. Heat assaulted my body, but it was nothing compared to anything my parents felt. The spell was still manageable for even them at this point, but I was sure overtime it would become more intense. It would not be until one hour, but then my prediction came true as a feeling of something alien began to seep into my body. The feeling of a thick fluid filling a container fills my mind as my magic circuits open. The moment they do, I begin mixing my blood into the mercury, watching as the red plasma starts moving with the mercury's flow. It took less than a few seconds, but soon enough the blood had spread across the full shape of the circle. By that time, it had been reheated by the liquid metal moving across the crevices.

The clock strikes the top of the hour, reminding me that it was now seven in the afternoon. The sun had already set by now. My magical process of creating gold and platinum normally took a whole day of work, but it ensured that the resulting precious metals would be as pure as can be. That valuable substance that normally forms only during a supernova was being forged like one would forge a blade. The time was a worthy cost to produce such a plentiful batch, but it was just the first part of the ritual meant to call forth the Servant granted to me by the Great Grails of Fuyuki. Which of the two great spirits would answer the call, I wonder?

Mode: Estevão Souza

Scene: An Inn Overlooking the Sea

Time: Day 2, Midnight

The hour was late. For a moment, I begin to doubt that I was truly in such a distant land as I stare at the waves just a short walk from my safehouse. The Madaraki Inn was more of a vacation spot than it was a decent base for a magus, but my delayed arrival in this town more or less assured that I was not going to have the best places to set up a workshop and a furnace. At first I had been tempted to take over the penthouse floor of a hotel in Shinto, but not even a short time into my search did I feel the dangerous energy of a killer in the shadows.

The seal on my hand had acted up in response to the presence of a Master, making me almost the first casualty of the war. No, even that would be wrong. Shinto and Miyama have both been host to missing persons and random assaults. Even though most might consider them merely pieces to be discarded, I could not forget that each life taken was likely being used to forge a greater and more terrifying beast...

So here I was, at a secluded inn sitting atop a hill overlooking a stretch of woodland and the fairly large strip of beachfront. Had I been in town on other business, even I might consider it to be a pleasant sight. But as for now, all I see is a dark mass inviting me to a graveyard aching for its open pits to be filled. I shuffle slightly as I turn my back on the balcony and head back the way I had come. The time was about midnight, the perfect time to begin the ritual. While my trip here had been delayed numerous times, I had no real worries of a deadline. After all, one does not need to make a proper ceremony to call upon the Grail's Servants. Even a child with the potential to possess a command seal could become a Master so long as he fit the requirements needed to request a Servant. Such an easy protocol for such a deadly force is unheard of...perhaps more than a traditional heresy.

Without permission I head up a hidden stairway that leads into a loft above the second floor. The people of this inn see me as no more than a guest, but their wariness is zero when it comes to my activity. In the presence of mere peasants, a noble such as myself has easy means to make them never question any word, gesture, or question I may have. A simple spell, but one that is absolutely necessary to hide amongst the common folk. As I enter the makeshift workshop, I recall the encounter with one of my colleagues before I even had reason to come to Fuyuki. A weak breath escapes me. A man younger than I had supposedly been chosen to fight in this war, much like the other Masters. However, back then I had no care for such things.

I had recently suffered injuries that left me apathetic about anything and everything that had been going on around me, so even stories of a magical chalice that grants wishes was nothing more than a side-joke to myself. Recovering from my weakness was easy, but to be known as the magus that killed his own instructor in a duel effectively terminated any respect I may have hoped to reach. At least as far as interpersonal relations...

The sixth generation magus who slayed a man with hundreds of years of lineage. The young man that exploded his head across the courtyard by some lucky shot. In retrospect, he had never laid down a rule against killing the opponent. And as magi, the two of us were both prepared to die at any time. Or at least I was. In the case of that callous man, he was so confident about his superiority that he never thought that the battle would be over in just moments. The fool accepted my challenge as a jest, humiliating me in front of my class and to everyone who knew my name. So perhaps his boasting before the fight looked all the more pathetic when that man with years of lineage died before me.

Yes, I lost the respect of everyone I had worked with. But despite that I was recognized as a skilled mage who was able to do battle. I could have become an Enforcer right then, but at the time I was far too sick of people to care. My hatred of other human beings makes it hard for me to accept praise or care for others, but I was somehow promoted to the rank of noble for a simple an act as murder. Ironic that the very issues I had been forced to suppress actually gave me prestige when I let them free. And all it took was a few burns here and there. Everyone despised me just as much as I loathed them, but I was fine with that outcome. It was a path I was used to walking...

So what of the young man who was three years my junior? What of the Master who met with a tragic fate? He was the sole being at Clock Tower—the university for Magi of the Mage's Association—who accepted me on a human level. He continued to bother me and trouble my every action with promises of alliance. Unlike myself, he was a mere second generation magus considered to be far below my status as a noble. Yet he continued to set us as equals for the simple reason of admiration. This chosen Master saw me as the perfect teacher to help him learn the art of a Mage Knight. A warrior who wields magic meant for the battlefield and smelled of sulphur and salts. Yet his dreams came to an end the moment I became his teacher.

After enough troubling on his part, the young man convinced me to take him as an apprentice. It was not my specialty, but it was simple enough to match my basic training and studies to let them function as tutoring. And despite his relatively small skills at first, he quickly became a respectable magus in even my eyes. Perhaps because of this, I was willing to allow him to learn some of my family's deeper arts. I was a terrible teacher for making that decision. The person I had come to consider my pupil ultimately destroyed his body whilst practicing a spell in secret. While I would like to not place him on the level of the instructor I had eliminated, I could say nothing but call him a fool when I learned of the incident.

Just like that, I had thought the Holy Grail War was no longer my concern. I could return to my hobbies in silence. To the various games and mindless entertainment that kept my attention more than even the most well-spoken administrator. Somehow though, my life of slow progress and passive activity was once again pulled out from under me when that very same marking that had been on my late apprentice manifested on my body. I was sure this was not a coincidence, but it was hard to deny that it almost seemed like some accursed deity wanted me to play the part of the person I had brought to a premature end. After receiving the markings of the Command Seal, I no longer questioned the power of the grail in the same way a pious man does not doubt the blessings of his God. This punishment...or perhaps gift...was now my curse.

I was a murderer. The killer of two living, breathing people. Yet now I was essentially being commanded by my fate to slay even more. My parents wanted me to protect myself with my magecraft, yet it seems that my destiny has chosen instead to use my honed skills as a spear, sword, and axe to slaughter lives in my path. _I have no problem with this,_ I subvocally repeat to myself...

After what felt like hundreds of steps, I make it into the attic. It had been specially furnished to be my second room for my stay in Fuyuki, but unlike the Japanese-style room I had come from, this one was fitted with more western furniture. And also unlike below, the entire room was filled with the smell of various chemicals needed for my magic. Namely, sulphur and gunpowder. While many complained about that smell like rotting from nearby rooms, no one was ever going to be able to learn the truth of the literal weapon lab right above them. This workshop housed my magical furnace, meant to perfect the compacting of compounds that I succeeded in mixing together. Yet these many materials paled in comparison to the effects they triggered. It was using just a small pinch of my family recipe that annihilated the head and rended the upper body of my old professor. Knowing this, I was aware that by channeling the right magic, it was possible to operate golems from a distance. Ones that could detonate with just my command. This was the magecraft of my family.

We turn the chemicals that were already volatile into magical triggers of shimmering dust. Not only this, but the spell was many times faster than others for its damage output. And with its low prana cost I could use the spell consecutively. Perhaps due to my confidence in the art, I was certain that I was just as dangerous as the most modern weapons. Any rifle was likely just as fast, but the power in my spells was far superior to the piercing shots. And pairing that with the unique familiars of my mother, I arrogantly began to consider myself the most powerful magus in the war.

My focus draws over to one of my desks, which had been covered in a layer of crimson powder when I left. Since my last visit, it appears as though someone took a fine object and began writing a message into the blood-red salts. It was none other than a contact of mine from Clock Tower. In his message he explained that the war's moderator was at the church on Shinto's south side. As one of the three known formal Masters, he was essentially being invited to the battle with full praise. Which makes things somewhat interesting...

The Heaven's Feel of Fuyuki normally features Masters from the three main families that instigated the conflict 200 years ago. Namely, the Tohsaka clan of Fuyuki, the Matou—formerly Makiri—clan, and the enigmatic Einzbern clan. As of this war though, it seems that the Matou clan has no Master due to its weakened state. So that leaves the Tohsaka and Einzbern families as my main opponents, worthy adversaries for a noble. That being said, knowing I have two ancient Magi lines to contend with makes me grumble more than it excites me. That wish had better be worth every bit of struggle.

A bigger problem was that the war no longer follows the seven Servant rule as with the Third War and those before. Ever since the chaos with the Fourth War, which supposedly ended up with a total of sixteen Servants, the entire system was torn apart by the existence of dual personae within the Holy Grail. At the very least though, this war should actually be winnable unlike the last one where the Grail's two minds—still trapped in a single Grail at the time—ended up feuding over the right to grant the wish. So while that is a reassurance, the elation is crushed immediately by the fact that I might end up fighting multiple Assassin or Saber class Servants.

"Souza-sensei..." A voice snaps me out of my trance and draws my attention. A dazed-looking girl wearing a yukata was sitting near the back wall, on the opposite side of the summoning circle made of of yellow, white, and grey powders. I do not acknowledge her much, but she was one of the guests I brought over with me. As for why she was dazed, it was likely because her energy has been slowly being sapped for the past few hours since I brought her here. She is the sixth person I have found to provide extra energy to strengthen my circle since I arrived. She is likely completely ignorant to the ritual, but since she was still here I had the full intention of keeping her around until she passed out like the others. Every bit of energy counts. "I feel really funny..."

"You'll be able to sleep and head home soon, just wait for me to finish the summoning and you will be out of my hair. Until at least tomorrow morning." I say to her, but she just looks at me like nothing reached her. Then she began to laugh. As expected, while she had a superior amount of magical energy for a commoner, the drain was too much for her. Still, thanks to her and my other sacrifices—for lack of a better word—the grains making up the circle were charged with magical energies and literally glowing a faint purple.

I finally lower myself to the floor and begin using a thin iron rod to add some final markings into the layer of ingredients. The harvest was done, so it was finally time to begin reaping the crops that were building up for the past week. Carefully, I take some dust made from the bones of my late mother's skull. With a bit of thanks to her assistance, I begin dropping the grains down onto the center of the circle. The moment I do, I begin to feel a dark and cloudy force rush through my body. I take a long breath as I watch the world be cloaked in purple shadows.

_Seeker of the Holy Grail, will you become my Advisor? The words of wisdom that brings victory to my legions?_

Mode: Nobody

Scene: Fuyuki Church

Time: Day 2, After Midnight

The powers of the two Grails reached their high point at that time. The Spirit Board soon saw three new pieces turn from their natural blacks and whites and into the more distinctive purple and blue. Once again, Caren found herself looking upon the magical artifact that was managing and keeping track of the Servants. With this, there were now fourteen Servants along with fourteen Masters. Yet while not every item on the board was illuminated, a voice from the woman beside her spoke up. "Mistress Ortensia. This is sufficient to begin."

"Are you sure, Ruler? There are more purple pieces than blue." Caren says, looking back at her partner for the war. The Servant that represented the Great Grail of Justeaze.

"Consider it a handicap. It is still possible for more Servants to appear, but I am confident that those of my faction will cooperate in this war. The Servants of Angra Mainyu likely have no such cohesion. And..." Ruler speaks, a majestic voice befitting the high-standing woman. "...one of his units is already on our side."

"I understand. Then the war shall commence." Caren raises her hand and begins so speak to the Spirit Board as though to relay a message. "As the moderator for this Fifth Heaven's Feel of Fuyuki City, I hereby allow the twin Grails to call forth their Nexus to the city."

While not heard with the ears, two voices echo throughout the church. Caren and Ruler maintain their stance and composure, but the other two figures in the room, Kotomine Kirei and his Servant of the Gilgamesh class seem to take joy that the war was finally set to begin.

_I approve of this Heaven's Feel. This Holy Grail War._

The two voices are distinct. One masculine. One feminine.

_As the avatar of all hope and faith—_

Says the first, but at the same moment...

_As the instigator of discord and calamity—_

...the second voice also speaks.

—_I shall call forth the Nexus of my glory for all combatants. May the throes of passion and wrath guide you to victory._

As the voices speak, Caren begins to feel something change. All around her, the Fuyuki Church grounds began to morph. No normal person could see it, but the church was now becoming the center of power for the Grail of Justeaze. An identical phenomenon was occurring above the lake behind Ryuudou Temple. Blue light swirled about the church and its graveyard, changing the entire area into a large structure not unlike a tower. It was larger than the tallest building of Shinto. Purple radiance rippled across the lake as an island tore from below the surface to rise as its own. Due to its position atop a mountain, it rose even higher than the other. Had it been visible to normal people, this second babel would have been visible across the city and even from kilometres outside of the suburbs.

The last to summon his Servant, Genon Kriegel, had only just called forth his warrior when this display of might showed itself. He had only gotten the bare minimum of information, but he knew full well that there was one way to automatically end the war. This knowledge was shared by Tohsaka Rin, the Master of a mighty Blue Queen piece, and by Estevão Souza, the Master of the Purple Queen's Bishop piece. Yes, most Masters could see now that the war would end when one of these towers falls or all its soldiers fell in battle. There was no escape from this battle now. All the Masters who were resigned to fight counted their breaths. All those fearful of their damned fate instead weeped in fear of death. And yet there was still those that would fight merely to complete their nature to slay others. Yet for all these fourteen souls, there were two others that would be awoken by pains in their body.

Emiya Shirou and Shizen Tsubasa would feel pains in their arms, left and right respectively. And as the pain roused them, the blue, shining Nexus and the purple, pulsing Nexus would immediately catch their attention. Neither knew the meaning of this event, but both shared the same uncertainty. Yet the answer would not come to them so easily. This war did not care if the two of them were left behind or not. They were to either adapt or die. At that moment, Shirou recalls the words of a small girl that he saw on the way home.

"_You're going to die if you don't hurry up and summon it, Onii-chan~"_


	3. Chapter 3

Mode: Emiya Shirou

Scene: Shinto, At the Base of Centerville

Time: Day 2, Night

The events of the day play back in my head like an old film. Nothing particularly outstanding broke my routine. I still woke up and went through all the expected motions. I went to school and laughed off Shinji's taunts, still helped Issei as I normally do, and still had to deal with Tiger—er...Fujimura-sensei. And afterwards I still went to work. Yet there were several things wrong with today.

First was the fact that Tohsaka Rin was absent today. A rarity considering her reputation for being the idol student. This alone was enough to make Ryuudou Issei complain about how she was a troublesome fox in human skin. While that was nothing to think about in some ways, there was always the matter of the strange bruise that appeared on my arm. Sakura did not even need to point it out to me when she saw it bleeding this morning. Last night, the symbol on my wrist was glowing brightly as if reflecting the light of the greatest oddity...

I look south to the blue tower adorned with odd statues and a crystal foundation. Then I look to the similar, but mostly identical purple tower in the west. It was enough to make me sick when I stared too long. Both were definitely magical in origin, but I could not be sure of where they came from. No one else could see them, of that much I was certain. Yet the more I looked at them, the more I realized that the massive structures might be connected to my bruise. And a small part of me seems to think even more.

The night before the last, it seems a family was murdered. Issei explained to me that they had all been killed by a long, bladed weapon like a sword or spear. Just hearing about it made me ill. Yet of all things, I could not help but think of those towers when he told me the story. And even more... The gas leaks in Shinto. The disappearances of students. Accidents of strange nature. The past couple weeks have made it dangerous for normal people. It is not fair. As much as I want to help others, I cannot get over the fact that all these tragedies keep occurring around me and there is nothing I can do to stop them. A hero who enforces justice...

Is that dream of mine really just a selfish wish?

For a moment, I stop and look up at the sky. I was at the bottom of the tallest tower in Shinto. A building called Centerville. Normally I might not think anything, but on this night I saw something strange. With a bit of magic aiding my vision, I soon make out someone standing on the roof. For some reason, Tohsaka Rin was above me. She was overlooking the town with a serious face, one I could fall in love with. Yet moreover, it was the happenstance of seeing her up there that made me confused. Why would the idol be on a roof so high up? And what was she looking for?

For just a moment, I could swear she looked down at me. But before I could be certain, she vanished from the edge of the tower. First the school's number one girl misses school, then she appears in Shinto long after curfew. If only I could understand this situation, I might not be as bothered as I was now.

Mode: Estevão Souza

Scene: Madaraki Inn

Time: Day 2, After Midnight

For a moment, I clear my mind as I recover from the unexpected drain on my body. I had been told that the Master provides mana for the Servant to use, but I was not prepared for the massive drain that was the moment of summoning. Now that I had a few hours to rest though, I finally put my focus on my Servant. She was not very tall, seemingly a girl of teenage years in some capacity. From all the stories of the Legendary Champions of the last war, I was not expecting to be paired with a Servant that looks to be roughly the same age as my current captive. Speaking of my captive...due to the ritual having come to an end, she had fallen asleep and was likely on the road to recovery. So all I had to do was return her to her home. But first, I needed to clarify something with my Servant. And based on her smile, she was waiting for me to speak again.

"So, which class are you from?" I asked, still trying to adapt to the feeling of disorientation.

"Me? I never had any classes, hehe~" The girl responds, making me raise an eyebrow at the response, but I resisted any stray thoughts and cleared my throat. The Servant reacted accordingly by imitating me. Even the little fairy that seemed to be hovering around her seemed to replicate the action. "Pleased to meet you, Master. Hope we can play a whole lot!"

"Right... On that note, I'll just go ahead and ask for an introduction. My name is Estevão Souza." For all my stable thoughts, I could not find the ability to make a proper statement. That being said, it seems my Servant understands my nature promptly.

"Estevuno Souza, gotcha! Nice name you've got, Master. My name's Lulu. I'm a mage like you, Estevuno!" Lulu says, giving me a wave, then she gestures to the entity floating next to her. "And this is my friend Pix, he helps me and my friends out. So he'll help you, too."

"It's Estevão...but I'm not picky. Call me Master or Souza if you can." I look at Pix carefully, the odd fairy making me just a little confused as to what it might be. "More importantly, if you are a mage that makes you a Caster. I'm not sure what to say about that though. I was hoping for a knight class Servant."

"Hey! That's not nice. I'm plenty strong for a Caster." Lulu proclaims, leaning in close to my face enough to make me back up slightly. Up close, I realize just how hard it is to think of her as a human. She certainly resembles a human, but for some reason her features seem alien to me. Including the strange colouration of her skin.

"That's the problem. I'm used to head-on combat, if you couldn't tell by looking." I gesture to the burn scars on the left side of my face. Lulu just stares at me dumbly though. "Well, I won't dwell on it...much. What sorts of offensive spells do you have?"

"Well, I don't have much variety in the way of spells, but I know lots of fairy magics. I'm not the best offensive-wise, so Pix and me tend to help others fight, heehee." Lulu starts to explain, giving a general summary of abilities that makes me feel a bit dizzy.

"In other words, not only did I end up with Caster...but I ended up with one that acts as a support unit. Then again, Pix being there means I have two Servants, kinda." I try to make things look better, looking the girl beside me up and down. I have determined that she is not human, but that's about all I could make sense of with her. "Well, listen up. I'm a battle magus. I prefer to make head-on attacks. Doing that on Servants though is suicide. You say that Pix can back me up, but can your other spells even the gap in power?"

"You're too serious, Master. You should relax and think about things when the battle starts! Oh, well, I guess it did start~ But even so, a tired Master is terrible at thinking clearly anyway. If you're too tired, I won't be able to fight anyway. I need lots of your mana to keep my abilities available!"

"I—fine..." I wanted to say something more, but her pointing out my exhaustion made my body feel heavy again. I would need time to rest before I could keep up with Lulu, but I was hardly pleased with this sort of deadlock. Would I be able to compete with the other Masters? Whatever the answer, Lulu seemed absolutely loyal to me. _That was a start_, I thought.

"So, Master. Since we're at a terrible start mana-wise...do you mind if I go and hunt down some extra sources of energy? The summoning took a lot, so we may need some backup juice until you recover." Lulu says, standing up with a smile. She was very small even now. Despite my sitting against the wall, she was not much taller than me standing up. Is she a child or some kind of magical race? "I can start with her...it looks like she has plenty of mana to spare. Can I? I promise not to eat her soul by accident. Souls taste really green anyway. I don't feel like green."

"Go ahead. I'll hold you to your word on that. I said I'd bring her home." I reply, closing my eyes to rest. I hear Lulu cheer happily as she skips over to the girl. That's right, Servants need to feed on spiritual energy to remain in this world. Without it, they will vanish back into their own realm. As much as I wanted to act, I need rest first. Lulu can do as she likes as long as it helps.

Mode: Shizen Tsubasa

Scene: Miyama Intersection

Time: Day 2, Morning

I was troubled with the events of last night. My hand was stinging in pain when I woke. And the sight of those towers assembling gave me nightmares when I tried to go back to sleep. In the end, I was exhausted as I walked to school. On the way, I once again met with Saegusa Yukika. Unlike yesterday though, I could not manage a proper greeting and merely kept moving along without many words. It was about at the intersection that I realized Saegusa was not in the best shape ever. Just like me, she seemed a little troubled. Then again, she had been frowning the moment I saw her.

"Shizen-kun...are you okay? You seem to be have a grim look on your face." Saegusa says with a voice that is full of concern. I could not but help but want to tell her about my troubles, but the possibility that it might cause me more pain was threatening my fragile heart. "Feel free to talk to me."

For a moment, I silently thought about what I should do, but then soon enough I decided to tell the truth. Slowing down my walking speed, I look carefully at Saegusa's worried expression. "Last night, my arms started to hurt badly. And well...a mark formed on my hand. But not just that, it seems the mark was responding to those towers that seemed to manifest out of nowhere..."

As I speak, Saegusa's face begins to pile on a new grade of worry, especially when I point up at one of the towers. The girl stops and looks up at the place I was pointing, staring for a while before looking back to me. When she did, the girl grabbed my hand and held it with hers. The moment she does, I feel my face burn up. "Shizen-kun, I think you should go home and rest, okay?"

"Oh? Yuki and Shizen? That's a strange combination. What are you two talking about?" Makidera Kaede speaks up out of the blue, coming from a different direction along with Himuro Kane. It seems the famous trio of girls of Class 2-A were all assembling today. However, I already knew it was not worth explaining things to them. My parents could not see it when I told them about it. And Saegusa reacted by telling me to go home and rest. As though I was sick.

It has become clear that my life is being invaded by the magic from my past life. The memories of my long gone grandfather and his teachings came rushing back. The training that pushed my body and mind to their limits and the distinct memory of being told to abandon the outside world ripped at my heart. Amidst all my flashbacks, my eyes look down to the hands holding on to mind. I could not understand how to respond to all these changes.

"Shizen, you are quite pale. Perhaps you should stay home today." Himuro says suddenly, getting a few nods from Saegusa. Even Makidera seems to have a worried face.

"I told you so, Shizen-kun! I think you should head home right away. Don't worry, I'll inform your homeroom teacher." Saegusa says, smiling at me with a brightness so charming I could cry.

"No, I'm fine. Just thinking too much. Let's go to school before we end up late, okay?" I said to the girls, getting uncertain looks from them. My hand was stinging with pain right now. It was as though the mark was telling me to abandon this area and head somewhere else. However, I could not let myself slip away. I was not trying to look like a model student with perfect attendance, but I felt that going home would not relieve my stress as much as spending time with my friends. It was only after we reached the school that I suddenly changed my mind and wanted to go home.

Mode: Genon Kriegel

Scene: Kriegel House

Time: Day 2, Afternoon

I woke up with a start, dripping with sweat from head to toe. Memories of the summoning and the appearance of the two pillars known as Nexus come to the front of my mind. However, I do not remember much afterwards as the stress of the summoning got to my exhausted body. I was well-rested now, but I had missed any chance of a proper greeting with my Servant...who was seated next to my bed in full armour. I almost choked while I gazed at her.

"Good day, Master. I see you've regained your strength. This is good, I would like to discuss a strategy for the battles to come. Are you able?" The figure speaks in a female voice, reminding me that underneath that almost cybernetic overlay of equipment was a woman. Quite refreshing considering the shows I watch.

"Yes, I am. My apologies." I said, still feeling a bit tired and drained despite my long nap. The armoured Servant with mechanical wings merely nods her head to this.

"No need to apologize, Master. You've managed to summon me, so the draw of mana and energy is understandable." She clears up the subject with a simple dismissal, making me feel just a little better. "As for our movements, I'd like to request that I be given the chance to survey the battlefield. You have no objection, I assume? I'd like to hear any opinions you have on the matter."

I was lost. She spoke so quickly once she moved to the subject of our actions, I was slightly unsure of how to respond. This Servant was very concise with her words, surgically so. I had no idea where to start at first, but I manage to find some bit of understanding enough to start thinking for myself. "Well... I can certainly agree with you having a chance to learn the terrain, but..."

"Yes? I'm listening, do not hold anything back." The Servant says, her posture drawing my attention to where her weapon was stored. It appeared to be nothing more than a handle to a sword, but I knew better than to question the power of a Servant of the Saber class.

"Well, I still feel fairly drained of energy. I feel like rushing out might be a bad idea for me. By all means though, I will allow you to leave me here." I said, looking at the helmet of my Servant. There was no visible reaction, but golden winged Servant eventually stood up beside my bed. She seemed to have a serious aura.

"Are you sure, Master? Staying here without me is dangerous. Even if you may call me with a command seal, I do not think it will be advantageous to use up one of your three absolute orders on a scenario where you can be directly under my protection." She explains her response to my first idea, leaving me sighing to myself. It was too much for me to consider in my current state. I needed more time to think. Thankfully, it looked as though Saber had all the time in the world to wait for my decision.

That was lucky for me as it would take quite a while for me to come up with a plan. And while I had some plans that might work well in one of the first three Grail Wars, the issue with the last two wars and its Servants was proving to be quite a hassle. In the words of Saber herself... "I am a being not of this world. While I am honoured to be called a hero, the fact is that I was called from a separate dimension to fight in this war. That being said, I am willing and unafraid of dying if it means achieving one of my highest goals."

That was from my first little interview late last night, but I recall that it meant something important. The Servants were living beings that to some degree had their own source of mana. And even eating was useful to them. That also meant it was impossible to conceal them, a major con to any pros. That and it also put more strain on the Master to keep them in this world without them being broken down by the laws of nature. Still, there was an easy fix for the first problem. "Tell me, would it be unhelpful to have you take on a more...casual persona?"

"As in a disguise to hide my status? Yes, I can accomplish this fairly easily. It costs a very menial amount of mana to shift my attire to something appropriate. Is that enough to answer your question?" Saber's tone makes it seem far more impressive that it is, but at the very least it provides a convenient means of operation.

"Yes, it does. That gets rid of one dilemma. Then before we get to a plan, I'd like to know more about you. I've explained my past a fair bit after the summoning, but I only know the basic information about your abilities." I said, getting Saber to turn in my direction.

"Very well. Then to start, my name is Kayle. My title is the Judicator. As I said last night, I am an immortal warrior who seeks to bring justice. Preferably one that everyone can agree upon. Due to the rules of this war though, I am very much mortal within this realm..." For a moment Saber—Kayle—stops her quick synopsis, looking over to me from behind her helmet. "Correct me if this was the sort of information you did not want to hear. I can explain in greater detail of you like."

"That's all fine, but I meant something more like family, to start simple. Parents, siblings, and all those sorts of things." I clarified, sadly missing any facial expressions that might have come from that question. Ten again, based on the sudden tension mixing in the air, I may have brought up a subject that would hardly earn the cute blush that I was imagining on Kayle's still hidden face. A shame that ruins my imagination.

"My family...that has become almost a matter of taboo at this point. I suppose I cannot say anything negative of my family as a whole, but there is one problem case that leaves me almost as bitter than when I am trying to bring justice to the suffering innocents. My sister. Despite all my efforts she reached out to powerful allies and essentially planned to destroy everything I have worked for until now." The bummed feeling I had at that moment hit me hard, a stark contrast to the tone of annoyance Kayle's voice relays.

"Then how about your efforts before then? Being a hero. I imagine there's something to keep you focused on doing things besides your sister." I said, wondering at the back of my mind if I might be digging too deeply into the past of this figure.

"I was merely trying to protect those that could not protect themselves. However, that was merely at the start. At this point, my actions are more of a reflex. Justice is right, but it is not always the happiest route available. So I keep fighting even if the conflicts are close to an end. Especially now, considering that I know that things can get much worse in the eleventh hour. I intend to keep that experience as a guide to this war."

"I see... Then I'll trust you to make decisions on your own should you deem mine ineffective. What use is a Servant if I don't use their skills, right?" I thought to myself, laughing a bit as I laid back and stared at the ceiling. Kayle does not seem to match my reaction, keeping the serious aura she had before.

"Do not worry, I will do my best to make your decisions succeed. If I deem it ineffective, I will merely adjust it to make it work. Your orders are my guide, so do not let my presence limit your own tactics and strategy." Kayle says, making me feel a little overestimated for the strangest reason.

"Then I may as well start. Today I'll keep resting up, but soon enough we'll have to take advantage of your ability to fly. Perhaps tonight we'll scout the town and give you a bird's eye view of the map." I said, feeling quite confident despite still being so drained of energy. This alone made me feel the weight of the being in my presence, but there was no guarantee my opponents were this weakened. Especially considering that two of my main opponents were the Einzbern and Tohsaka family magi. Even amongst the dozen other Masters I was up against, those two made for small armies on their own.

As I consider this, Kayle simply agrees in an adlib-free fashion befitting her militaristic personality. Even with all my queries about personal life, the Servant did not seem to mind anything. With this in mind I continue to ask more about her past while I can, whether or not it provides much difference.

Mode: Nobody

Scene: Miyama Streets

Time: Day 2, Late Afternoon

Several hours have passed since the Servant's Master headed home. It was somewhat expected that such a hesitant action would be taken considering the circumstances. A Master not ready to see the results of the kill should stay back and hide from the bloodshed, especially one not trained for such a thing. Yes, it was perfect that this inexperienced Master received a Servant with the ability to move freely and deal damage without the Master needing to remain close. That much was true, but the Servant also knew that there was another weakness beyond simple fear of murder.

For that weak soul to discover one of the enemy Masters so soon... It was as though the fates were testing the resolve of such a mundane soul. And even though that Master accepted the recommendation to act now, the Servant could tell that the order was done with the highest degree of despair. When personal experience contrasts with the necessities for survival, there was always going to be agony. By some slight goodwill and appropriate limitations, the Servant would spare the Master the guilt for a little longer. For now, that Master would merely be a hindrance.

This line of thinking is the one taken as the cloaked Servant moves amongst the town, following one of the first targets until the moment was right or else it was time to return to base. For now, the Servant's gaze remained on the target standing amongst innocents. It was troublesome, but so long as that Servant could see bystanders the attack would not commence. Even so, it was no hindrance. Only when the Master gave approval to use that all powerful technique would the strike be dealt. Such a weak Master would surely hesitate for a long time before the final moment. Until then...

Mode: Shizen Tsubasa

Scene: Omori Residence

Time: Day 2, Night

The towers were shining brightly. The one to the west a shining purple and the one to the east a brilliant blue. During the day the shining was evident, but now that night had returned, so too did the brightness from before. Even though the curtains were blocking the window, the light was still breaking through as though there were three moons on this night. Being the sort of person I am, I could hardly sleep with such distractions. The pain in my hand may be gone, but the signs of its arrival were still threateningly watching my every move.

I did not get any reassurance even as my bedtime approached ever closer. My parents were ignorant, but I already knew what they would say. They would merely think I was overworking myself and have me try to rest. Rest was not going to send away what was most definitely high-level thaumaturgy. Not even the Omori family's spiritual beliefs could stop this without a large number of church operatives. The real irony in that thought was the fact that the church my parents loved so much seemed to be right under one of the castles.

Even though I had told my parents that I was going to be with friends this Sunday, I was tempted to break the outing to go with my parents to the weekly sermon. If only to be sure they would be safe. Then again, the thought of going to that church just when I had an excuse not to go was a pain. After all, even if I actively engage in the Omori family, there was no hiding the terrible vibes I got from the town preacher. The man named Kotomine Kirei was not particularly threatening, but every time I saw him I felt the strangest feeling that I was looking at some sort of chained beast.

Perhaps most unsettling over the past five years was that he seemed to be completely antisocial. He never spoke much with people and when he did, it was in such a formal manner that it seemed impossible to approach him. The Omori family believed this to be a sign of a truly devout man, but for me, it did not match with the way he seemed to turn even the most positive subject into a gloomy and ambiguous one.

And on top of that, the recent arrival of the woman named Caren Ortensia made things even more confusing. Supposedly, she was a relative of Kotomine, and that excuse stood uncontested with the way she seemed to reflect Kotomine's nature. Rather, Caren's personality was nothing but positive and forgiving to the point that she was already well-loved by people of the church. The only one who did not adore her unconditionally was myself...and for a reason no one would believe. Literally the first day of her arrival, she was able to spot my shy nature and immediately turn it into a weapon.

In summary, every visit to the church for me resulted in a torment that puts even Shinji's degrading words to shame. At least Shinji does not play innocent while making everyone's eyes lock on me. No, instead of regular teasing she would take every opportunity to make me speak in front of others. And while I wish it were just for my choir-related skills, she was hardly so merciful. It was almost as if she were some kind of demon in the skin of a priestess. No one saw through her, but for every time I was asked to speak or asked to help on what would be an off-day, I thought I was losing a year of my life. Thankfully, she was supposed to leave by the end of February. Not soon enough for my poor heart.

As I selfishly debate over the safety of my parents and the torments of one lowly priestess, I start to feel something. It was as though someone was watching me from outside. It was a subtle sensation, but before I knew it I was peering out my window and out to my street. As soon as I look, I see a tall figure standing underneath the light of a lamppost. A figure cloaked completely in a heavy hooded cloak. This was not too unusual considering the season, but the way the man seemed to be just standing in the light was unnerving...

A couple seconds into my staring, the figure finally looks up at me. Then I see several lights on his face. Rather, it was more as though he had a number of eyes, each glowing with fierceness that dwarfed any human stare. For a moment, I could not look away. A terrible fear of the unknown had taken root and was now destroying my ability to think clearly. Whoever this was...he was not human. Even with that deduction, I was not trying to hide. I was firmly rooted in place and could not move a bit even as he raised his hand. Yet rather than doing anything that might be an attack, he instead points down the road. In my confusion, I very slowly try to look in that direction.

Then I see them, several entities marching down the street as though on a war march. The event leaves me a bit confused, not nearly as much as the original figure. For a moment, I could almost swear that I would get some answers. But by the time I looked back to him, he had taken a completely different action from what was expected. First, the man had ripped the streetlight from its spot in the ground. Then before I knew it he had made a dash for the soldiers and already made the first swing of the large improvised weapon. And with a window-rattling crash, one of the creations had be hammered into the earth just off the road. It tries to raise itself, but it is quickly killed off with a strike that crushes its head into the ground. No doubt this served as some sort of disruption, but only I knew that this was an out-of-the-ordinary battle going on. And the more I watched, the greater my fears.

"_You should not have looked, Kid. Enjoy the show, because you'll die if I find you after the last one. There's five left, so take this chance while you can."_ A firm voice says to me, practically booming in my ears despite the obvious difference between me and the man outside.

And then the world freezes. Everything in my vision suddenly became sharper and a great pressure seemed to be pressing into my flesh. Restlessness. Coldness. This was true danger. The sensation that required me to make a fight or flight reflex had not been present since my training in the past, but it had come back with that short set of words. Moreover, the strength of that man is astonishing to the point that a fair fight was impossible for me.

There was only one option. I needed to run away. If not, I may very well get my parents killed. One rule amongst magi rings in my ears. If anyone sees the arcane, they must be silenced. Death is not usually the only answer, but if this man is associated with magi, then he was well within his freedom to slay me ruthlessly. Was this man part of some magical conflict? To be fighting what appear to be powerful wraiths? Why would two magical factions even be fighting in an area as out of the way as this city? The questions were all I could think about for a while, blinding me to my actions.

It was the cold air of outside that snapped me back into reality, making me shudder enough to stop the panic. I had already left my house by way of the back door, having put my shoes on in such a hurry that the laces were poorly tied. The sounds of fighting from the street were still ongoing, but I had no intention of staying around long enough to risk more lives. With a head still full of worries and precautions, I start running north along the sidestreet that runs along the left side of my house.

As I run, I begin glancing at the walls surrounding each property. Aside from the many trash cans, I cannot see much that will serve as decent weapons. Anything stable would do for me, but if worse comes to worse I might be able to do something about my inability to fight for at least a few seconds extra. With that monstrous form's speed, there was no question over whether he could catch up to me or not. This fact was all the more true if he had the ability to sense me.

The end of the pass comes into view, as well as my first chance to break any line of sight that monster may have. I speed up, ignoring the pain in my chest that was already building to the point of blurring my vision. Yet just a moment into the pain do I lose my breath to an even greater one. In the brief moment when I had lost focus, something moved out of my blindspot and attacked from the front. The sickening feeling of warmth running down my body quickly roused me from my daze. Just before I screamed, the blade pulls back, slicing a few of my ribs on the way out. Following the ribbons of blood, I soon saw the assailant staring at me.

"Do not misunderstand me," started the woman hidden behind a mask reminiscent of Noh theatre, sporting a pair of antlers on the top. Her outfit matched with this theme in the form of a stylized kimono. "My Master did not command me to kill you, but I will leave you here with this mark. If your luck holds, that Servant will not find you."

No voice comes out when I try to speak, instead I collapse against the wall face-first. I try to hold myself up, but the blood loss takes away the strength in my legs and drags me to the ground. With that, I start to feel blood seeping down to the ground underneath me. The figure that left me with this injury then vanishes back into my blindspot, leaving me alone again. It hurts. Everything hurts. And to make things worse, I could no longer hear the fighting...

"What happened to you? I didn't sense anyone else." A deep voice I had heard once before speaks out several minutes later, barely managing to draw my eyes up to see the man with the streetlight for a weapon. "Must have been an Assassin. Looks like they did my job for me. It's a shame, but this is where your life ends. I'll remember you, Kid. Even when I finally return home."

Again, I was met with silence. Thanks to the city lights, I could not see the stars well, but there was enough darkness for the more outstanding constellations to shine down to me. Back in my old home, it was impossible to determine how many stars there were. They blanketed the sky and created a scenery so incredible that I could often find myself gazing upward just as intently as an interesting movie.

_Do you want to die?_

Of course not. Why would I?

_Do you want to live?_

I do, but I don't want to live solely for the purpose of living...

_Does that mean you have some sort of wish?_

Maybe...but I can't see it while I'm about to...die…?

_Then I'll assist you just this once. Tell me, are you willing to become the strings that allow the puppet to sing its songs? You might simply delay your death, but I must give you at least this chance to preserve your life._

A hallucination of chatter comes to an end in the form of a humanoid effigy manifesting before me. Slowly I began to hear a pleasant melody rushing over me, taking away my pain gradually. Not just the pain, but as I looked down, the gaping wound that had sliced open my chest was closing up and being rectified as if it never came to be. And soon enough, all that was left was a peculiar mark on my bicep that had not been present before. Like a miracle, I was soon recovered down to every scratch, even the one that had come when I fell into the wall and left to die.

The source of my recovery was the effigy, which was half broken to reveal the left side of a beautiful woman with a string instrument. And the moment I could see her, the rest of the shell broke away into dust. For the strangest reason, I felt myself smile at her arrival before me. And of course, my smile was returned by one of hers. Just then, I heard a voice inside my head, not the same as the first one...

"_I apologize for being so late. I promise that I will remain by your side from this point on."_ The voice says in a soothing tone of a kind woman. I could not help but stare at the form standing before me, instantly jumping to the realization that she was the source. As if answering my thoughts, the woman kneels down slightly, her dress tracing her figure as a strong wind brushes past the two of us. _"Only you can hear me, Master. What masterpiece shall we play today?"_


	4. Chapter 4

Mode: Tohsaka Rin

Scene: Homurahara Academy

Time: Day 3, Night

The day began simply enough. My Servant had gotten the feel of town in just one night, so the two of us were able to focus on more domestic plans. At this moment, my Servant was somewhere just outside school grounds, keeping a sharp eye for anyone suspicious that might show up. Yet while I thought there would be nothing special at the school, it turns out that there were several strange things going on.

Saegusa was worried about a friend of hers that was absent from school today. Similarly, the leader of the Archery club—as well as a pseudo-friend of mine, Mitsuzuri Ayako—was missing as well. Even though my Command Seal should have told me where any Masters should be, I could feel nothing. My suspicions though were enough for me to decide on a check of the school during my lunchbreak. In just one day since my absence, I could tell that some sort of magus was attempting to step directly into my territory.

That night, I would return in search of more clues. As the head of the Tohsaka family, Fuyuki City is my domain. With that authority, I already know that there should be no other magi at school. So the fact that someone was setting up barriers had every intention of making the school a base...or to harass the local manager. At first, the two possibilities seemed equal in possibility. But the moment Saber and I stepped back onto the school grounds, the great buzzing in my head and pressure weighing down my steps that had been trace during my lunchtime scouting were more than ten times stronger. Yes, the magus was targeting me. The school was just a scene and perhaps little more than a backdrop.

Leading Saber into the grounds, I began a tedious mission of removing the various charms holding up the debilitating bounded field. The hunt was simple at first, but for every one I removed the buzzing sound in my head began to grow louder even as my steps became easier to tolerate. A dozen seals later, I found myself on the roof where I had removed one for lunch. It had come back, reinforced by its caster. Such a simple thing was of no consequence to me. It was no trouble for me to get rid of it once more.

"Ohoho~ You're looking awfully competent there, Tohsaka Rin~" A voice rings in my ears, coming from directly opposite of the charm. While I was merely surprised at first, Saber had already taken a combat stance—fearsome even if her equipment seemed off for combat at the moment. "But the way I see it, all that false confidence of yours is nothing in a real test of skill. Even your Servant seems sub-par for a Saber."

I quickly turn to face the voice, seeing two figures standing firmly who had not been there the moment before. One was a tall man with a noble stance appropriate for a Servant of the Grail War. His posture and atmosphere made him out clearly to be a member of royalty. Yes, in a way, this Servant was perfect for the Master he has been called to fight for. Then again, his Master was no one that I would consider to be a danger. Yes, she was considered a top-class magus for her age, but to me, she was no more than an ugly stain.

"So you were the one invading my territory, Luviagelita Edelfelt?" I said accusingly, getting only a snooty grin and a sidelong shrug from the golden-haired noblewoman in blue.

"Of course it was me. You may not be very skilled, but it seems all the lesser magi are too afraid to strike first. So it is my duty to wipe any misguided thoughts of victory from your mind." Luviagelita says in a condescending voice, her superiority leaving me utterly stunned. This woman brings out nothing but rage from me. Just seeing her here...

"Saber, kill that woman." I said without hesitation. Luviagelita stops her laughing for just a moment, the surprise on her stupid face makes me smile as my Servant dashes forward with full force. Just then, Luviagelita's Servant intercepted the attack with what was undoubtedly a lance. Saber's attack failed to kill my nemesis, but it was fine so long as I was able to exactly what I was up against now. For me, the Holy Grail War had finally begun...

Mode: Shizen Tsubasa

Scene: Omori Residence

Time: Day 3, Lunchtime

A sharp pain slowly builds in my chest. It intensifies, slowly eating away at my peaceful slumber. After a short while, the pain becomes too much to bear and my eyes open. As soon as I do though, the agony was gone. All that awaited me was silence. At first, I could not fully comprehend what was going on, but in moments I realized that it was well past morning classes. My clock tells me that the time was 12:22, roughly halfway through lunch break. Considering I was not at school, that means my parents must be at work and left me alone.

Trying not to think about last night and whether or not the events actually occurred, I leave my room and weakly stumble down the stairs and into the kitchen. Sure enough, a simple note had been left on the table next to some fairly generic cold medication. It seems that I had been running a fever this morning and my parents kept me home. Normally I might actually resist such a thing, but considering my stress lately... I could not find a reason for being anywhere else but home. Even if it might not be safe anymore.

"_I'm glad that you've awoken, Master. May I come in, now?"_ A voice suddenly echoes in my head, one that was still fresh in my mind. Turning to look at the kitchen window, I see the woman from last night watching me as if there was nothing strange going on.

"Why are you calling me Master...?" I asked, vividly remembering everything that happened last night until my injuries were healed. "Who are you?"

"_I'm your Servant in the Holy Grail War. I'm Sona Buvelle, a Servant of the Caster class. You may not recall because you were assisted, but you summoned me to fight with you."_ The beautiful smile that Sona gives me makes me choke a little, but that was not nearly as off-putting as what she just explained without much thought.

"What is the Holy Grail War? Why am I involved with this?" The moment I ask, Sona does not even blink before starting off the explanation. A war where various magi, called Masters, summon powerful familiars, called Servants, to fight in a bloody conflict for the one and only Holy Grail. A vessel of considerable power that allows the winner to access the Root of all things. And through this end, any and all wishes can be made reality.

"_It's not really that simple anymore though. Right now, there are currently two conflicting entities that act as the Great Holy Grail. Both of them have made the summon of Servants possible, hoping that the last one standing will be of their own selection."_

"And what's the significance of that?" I resumed my inquiry, unable to look away from the girl outside the window. "Doesn't having two Grails overly complicate things?"

"_It does, but that is the only way the Heaven's Feel can finally be resolved. This way, no aberrations can be added to the system since the Grail now runs the war. A long time ago, one set of participants tried to cheat and make a unique Servant to guarantee victory. The result could have been a much greater disaster, but instead of becoming corrupted, we were instead given a Grail with two personalities. Each one having different ways to grant their wishes."_

"I just can't understand this...not a bit. So...if one Grail has two personalities, does that mean someone split them up? Because there seem to be two towers..." I said, looking at the blue tower a good distance behind Sona.

"_To put it simply, the last war ended with one Master splitting the two apart. It caused considerable destruction, but it may have finally set the stage for the last Heaven's Feel. Until now, there has never been a proper winner. I intend to change that for you, Master."_

The way she said this made me imagine her moving her lips to say it aloud, but the slight hallucination fades in seconds. Moreover, there was still a lot to worry about. Namely that this is a battle royale where my life was on the line. My life that last night proved as very much fragile. Any longer and I would have died in a bloody mess just down the street. What would my parents have done if things ended like that? The possibilities rush through my head and shake me to the core. While I was being absorbed into my thoughts, Sona seems to be looking a little nervous.

"_Master, if that is all you need to know, then may I ask to come inside again? I feel it best to remain indoors while your family is out. Until you can find an explanation for me to stay indefinitely. As things are, it may be quite inconvenient for us to move freely."_

"Right, right... Go ahead." I said, still trying to grapple with the thought that I would have to fight. It took very little time for my thoughts to move back to my past. My training from my grandfather and my decision to leave the Shizen family. "All this time getting used to not seeing magic and it comes back in a couple nights..."

"_I see, then that means you are indeed a magus?"_ Sona's voice echoes, making me a bit nervous when I realize she had already entered the building and placed her large instrument down. Regardless of it not having any real sound, I could almost sense vibrations in my ears.

"Yes, I am. Er... I was. I gave it all up though. At least I thought I did." I said, looking away from her to avoid the particular glance she was giving me. After a moment, I finally look back at her and see that the Servant was smiling just a little.

"_That's good. You do not seem to be providing any magical energy so I thought you might be an ordinary person selected by the Holy Grail."_ Sona says, looking just a little relieved with the news.

"Oh, that's right... Masters provide energy for the Servants you said, so then I'm supposed giving you extra energy?" I asked, looking at her as I recall the skills required to transfer prana to familiars. As I recalled the feeling, Sona nods in confirmation.

"_Don't worry, Master. Since we are alive, the other Servants and I only need energy to keep present in this dimension. We can provide most of our own energy by resting like normal things."_ My Servant continues to relay this information, occasionally plucking the strings of her instrument. Even this simple action somehow creates a great feeling of ease.

"There's one thing that still bugs me though. Do we have to fight? I don't think I could participate in an event like this. No, I just want to refuse." Sona looks at me for a few hard seconds. At first I thought she might scold me, but instead I feel her gently patting me on the head. My confusion at this gesture leaves me staring at her dumbly.

"_I certainly do understand your problem. This battle is dangerous. So it's unfair that someone like you was involved with it so suddenly. As much as I would like to hope that there is a way you could resign, I only know the details that are needed to explain what I am here for."_ Sona comforts me most of the way, but the last part of her comment reminds me that this woman was still a Servant. For all I knew, she was a killing machine. I already know that she willingly chose to join this war, but for her to be so kind almost makes no sense.

"Well, I don't have much choice. It's not much, but I'll join the battle for now. However, there has to be someone who knows how to resign. As much as I'd like to stay home and wait it out...that does not seem like the best option considering last night. The enemy Servant that attacked me knows where I live. No, two of them do... That means that I'm pretty far behind." I reason, rubbing my head as I consider my options.

"_Then if I may, we can start studying the battlefield today. The battlefield is full of cautious opponents, so it may be my only chance to get to see the surroundings safely before the enemy starts their attacks. Although, there is the possibility that much of the city has already been claimed by the various factions."_ Sona explains, at points making me feel better and bringing me down at others.

"In that case, I think I will pass on exploring the local area. Since I'd like to not be seen as a delinquent, I'd like to avoid looking around here at least during the daytime. So that leaves...Shinto." The decision to search Shinto came quickly. Enough that I was already thinking of places to check. It was sickening, but I can already feel the results of my abandoned mage training coming back.

Mode: Estevão Souza

Scene: Harbour

Time: Day 3, Afternoon

If there was an issue with convenience somewhere about his location, I could find none. From the Madaraki Inn, I had access to the beach. By following the sand southward, I could easily arrive at the harbour with no winding roads. This means that I effectively control the riverside park and its surrounding areas. To put it simply, I had a perfect spot to catch and collect passersby for energy. Even more importantly, this means I did not have to worry about wandering through the town. I could stay out of the residential districts completely. With Caster as my Servant, this is going to prove to be an invaluable weapon. However, a problem does still seem to be present.

I still cannot understand my Servant. No, not in the way one might expect. My Servant has a peculiar habit where she babbles on about things that are either not there or not visible to me. Stuff like how the fairies seem to enjoy the riverside or that the beach spits out lots of rainbows. To put it in summary, she is insane. She must be. While there are some things I can understand, the fact that I have a Servant that can even see spectral creatures such as fairies is mind-boggling. Perhaps I should be grateful, but this is hard to accept when my Servant continues to interact with things that make no sense.

"Estevuno! The fairies said they once saw a massive battle right across the river from here! It was the last war, right? The last war destroyed that ship, too! Look at that! It's...stupid. They should have made something ten times as fun, like a giant pillar of frozen fish!" This was an example of her train of thought, and it never lost stride even once.

"If you insist on using my name, mind at least cutting off before you get to the end? If you can't say Estevão right, then say only Este. That's fine for me. That or Master.." Lulu nods and jumps off the side of the harbour, I say nothing as she lands on the water and trots around, skipping occasionally as if the laws of physics have no bearing on her.

"Este sounds cute. I like it. From now on, you're Este. Pix thinks it sounds cool, too. Hehe." Lulu laughs, kicking the water hard and knocking a fish into the air. In a swift motion, the little creature called Pix dices it into cubes. Perhaps in the most bizarre turn, the blocks of flesh proceed to swim away once they land back in the water. It was almost comical to think that if this war did not eliminate her quickly, Lulu might be able to turn the entire city into a giant playground of butchered reality.

Then it came to me. Lulu can speak to the fairies. And from what she can tell me, they seem to know about the battles in the area. While I had been idly considering it, the possibility that this could be used to my advantage quickly takes root. With this, I might even be able to avoid easily traced familiars as a means of collecting information. It seems that Lulu had been picking up on my scheming, soon bouncing up from the water in an impossible hop before gently landing on the ground beside me.

"What are you thinking about, Este?" Lulu asks, leaning forward and looking at me as though I was somehow the shorter of our duo.

"Just thinking about the willingness for the fairies to help. You seem to get along with them, so it might be worth asking for information." I present my thoughts neatly, but the way Lulu starts laughing tells me there's something off with my deductions. "Am I just being presumptuous?"

"No, no~ It's just that I've never heard of a mage actually trust the fairies. Actually, this is the first anyone besides me has considered trusting fairies. I knew there was a reason we were paired together~" Lulu continues laughing, all but rolling around on the ground to show her amusement. Yet none of this answers my question.

"Of course. But not for free. They'll help, but if they ever need you, you might become their slave." Those words make me stop, leaving me to look over at Lulu. She had been smiling cutely before, but now her gaze and smile was as wicked as her clothes might imply. "Maybe not now, maybe not while you are alive...but someday the fairies might kidnap your great-grandson's children and force him to be their puppet until they are satisfied. Do you think that's fine with you? I'm not saying the fairies would do that, but...they might~"

"That's all? If that's all there is then I have no qualms about having their assistance. This is the Holy Grail War. Any wish I choose can be granted and thus outweigh the risks of the fairies abusing me or my lineage. And besides, if the fairies crafted Excalibur, there might be some bigger reward in the distant future." I replied, not far from my actual thoughts. For practical purposes, this deal was a nightmare. It might be that my bloodline may suffer tragedies for eternity. This might complicate the survival of my family. While I'd like to think that having lots of kids would help, this only means it would be made even harder to pass on the family crest to each generation. A family of quantity over quality sounds very close to those old families that have their family expand via homunculi.

"The fairies accept, Este. Be happy. They'll help you as much as they can. Their first offering is the locations of every single person chosen as a Master." Lulu's smile is adorable, but somehow so twisted and dark that it was all too clear that she was not a human. I knew this by now, but seeing her now makes that fairly certain. "The first lives due west of the Madaraki Inn, another lives not too far from there. And if you go north from these two, another Master lives in a large Japanese-style estate…"

The speed at which I was seeing results of the deal made me almost tumble in shock. For a moment I was merely stunned, but before I knew it I could almost feel a twisted smile of my own forming as all my other opponents were listed off. With this, I could take full advantage of my Servant Caster. While the fairies seemed to conveniently leave out which one had which Servants, I learned the general locations of my opponents. All the traps and potential ambushes I could make with this knowledge. The feeling of power was already feeling worth the Faustian exchange it may have cost me.

"And that's all of them? Just like that?" I asked once she was done giving the list. Some parts of her list made me laugh for the fact that this war already seemed to be ignoring traditional nature of a Holy Grail War. "Most of them are in Miyama though, that's a bit unexpected. But the ones in Shinto...have some interesting locations. But based on this...that means at least three of the Masters live right under those Castles. Storming those locations...might be tricky."

"The fairies are going to let you make use of this for a while, but they will be waiting for requests once they see how you take advantage of this information. It's kinda boring, but I guess I will just have to let you think about it for a while. Until then, I want to see more of the town." Lulu says before running off down the riverside, pretty much on the way to the park. It might cause a little trouble, but I let her go. The most people would think was that she was playing dress-up and acting like a magical person. All I could think about was the wealth of information I had just gained from this event.

Mode: Genon Kriegel

Scene: Shinto, At the Top of Centerville

Time: Day 3, Late Afternoon

How many times had this tallest building in Shinto been used by Masters? Such a convenient location had likely seen its share of magi and Servants stand upon it and gaze over the city. In one sense, this building represented the powerful stronghold that the high ground offered to traditional warriors. What use of it to me? My Servant can fly. To me, I was able to settle one thing. This height is nothing more than a joke to my Servant. It had not hit me fully until now, but my dominance over the air might be uncontested in this war.

"With this, the battlefield on the south side of the river is settled. If we fight here, there will be no difficulties." Kayle says in a voice of certainty. Indeed, this urban setup made for an ideal battlefield for her. In a pinch, she could use the buildings as a means to hide from onlookers. And surprise attacks are made that much easier, too. However, that was just in Shinto.

With all this decided, I gave the order for us to move back to Miyama. And just like that, Kayle took flight with me in tow and began to return to the less advantageous of our battlefield. Due to its lack of large buildings, it was easy for onlookers to see them. With no spells geared for stealth, hearing about my search might potentially require me to hunt someone down and wipe their memory. Thankfully, my Servant was skillful in her movements and apparently in the sharpness of her eye. That fact made me rest assured that no one would see us as we scaled over the surroundings.

The first place on our stop was the hill of extravagant western style homes in southern Miyama. After several dives and movements into cover, my focus was on an established threat to my safety. While there was no doubt that the Einzbern family was a threat, their base was a decent number of kilometres out of town. So instead my focus fell onto the Tohsaka Mansion. It was around evening when we arrived, but the moment we landed across the street there was a feeling of emptiness.

"It appears the Tohsaka magus is out, Master." Kayle said, making me feel just a little bit of caution.

"Are you sure? I imagine the Tohsaka clan has a decent barrier meant to trick the mind into thinking that way." I said, walking towards the entrance before stopping myself, unsure if there were any traps.

"I am unaffected by such magic, especially by the low-class magecraft that seems to be popular in this era. I can assure you there is no one home." Kayle's reminder that she was indeed a Saber with high-ranking Magic Resistance made me agree with her. However, this meant my guess was right and that the Tohsaka magus was busy tonight.

"That being said, there might be some activity nearby. It's up to you to check more closely, Master." Kayle spoke the truth. There were lots of things going on in town. Yet on this night there was an unexpected chill in the air. No, it was like there were subtle movements shifting the very fabric of reality. Approaching the mansion might bring danger that I had not anticipated to the fore.

"Go ahead then, let's see what our main opponent—" Just as I was about to give the order, the sound of fast-moving objects cutting through the air steals my breath. It was too late for me to see them, but an attack had been made on me. The sound I heard only reached my ears after the fact, leaving me questioning the nature of my survival. Turning my head, I see that Kayle had moved in the way of the attack just in time.

Saber's armour did not seem to stop the attack in the traditional sense, based on the light expression of pain on her face, but she had still managed to keep it from hitting me by deflecting the magical damage that was meant for me. The moment I realize my Servant had take damage (regardless of the degree), my mind moved over to look for the attacker. As expected, something was already making its escape. A humanoid shape roughly 15 metres from our position. So close, but yet we did not notice it until just now.

I might have assumed it to be a human male, but this information was secondary to the likelihood that it was a Servant. As if to assure to me that I was not looking at a human, the being moved 16 metres in just a second. Without a doubt, that speed was not human. And before I knew it, Kayle exploded after him with speed that leaves me stunned. A long range attack that was not powerful. No, more like it did not need to be powerful. Rather than try to kill a Servant, that enemy was aiming at me.

There was no time to search the Tohsaka mansion, not while the enemy was making an attack. Being human though, I could not even keep up with my own Servant, who was barreling through the street at speeds identical to the attacker. Soon enough, the attacker vanishes from sight, leaving me only able to see my insanely fast Servant chasing after him. There was no time to fully settle on this opponent though as in just a moment I was greeted by a new opponent rushing from around the corner. A beast reminiscent of a lizard, but with the silhouette of a bipedal warrior. Purple scales covered its body and a large axe was in its grip. This was no Servant, but it was no doubt here for the Holy Grail War.

"Master!" Kayle was suddenly in front of me again, having made a full retreat before landing a heavy strike that cleaved off the monster's arm. "Forgive me for not seeing this trap. The moment I realized he was creating an opening, that minion was already appeared."

"It's no problem, but this doesn't make sense. Why is there something that's not a Servant here?" My confusion was obvious. No one gave me any warning about these minions. And that fact leaves me just a little bitter.

"Perhaps the Grail realized that its pieces are not united. The Great Grail is one participant in its own war, so perhaps when it realized its selected pieces were not cooperating it decided to have them join the attack." Kayle says, dodging the fast swipes of the monster. However, while it was fast enough to attack six times to her three, those attacks barely did anything to the insanely powerful Servant. And with three slashes, the minion was reduced to five pieces.

"In other words...this is our incentive? If we don't bring our respective Great Grail victory, the opposing one might kill us with these low-level monsters?" I asked, watching the minion dissolve into vapour. At this moment, I imagined these things stalking the city, hunting down Servants and minions alike. "I seriously need to have a chat with the moderator."

"That may be advised, but remember that these are no handicap to me. It might be useful to take advantage of these things like that other Servant." Kayle says, referring to the clever trap that almost got me killed. "At the very least though, it seems our enemy also seem to be spying on Tohsaka. This may be presumptuous, but this attack may be a warning for us to stay away from their prey. Are their families besides the Einzbern that might want the Tohsaka dead?"

"Probably any number of the opponents. There's the Matou clan around here, too, but I heard that they don't have any viable Masters. If it was them, they might have needed outside help." There was no question that there were many opponents out for Tohsaka blood. As a result, trying to narrow down the suspects was hopeless. Rather, it could be that by coming here I have made myself a target for several different opponents.

After a few moments, I gave a shrug and gave up my examination of the Tohsaka house for now. With so many eyes seemingly on it, waiting to challenge this opponent might be better after she chases off her opponents. By then, she might be weakened enough for a more reasonable battle. For now, I merely plan to scout a little longer.

Mode: Tohsaka Rin

Scene: Homurahara Academy

Time: Day 3, Night

An attack like lightning cuts through the night air, the target being the future dead woman named Luviagelita Edelfelt. While her Servant certainly intercepted, it was by no means a guaranteed saving blow. The opponent used a spear, thus ensuring that any simple attack was going to be brushed off by the longer reach of Lancer's weapon. The conditions did not even require me to give an order. As a special rule, the Servants in this war had no Noble Phantasms, but they did have special abilities. In this case, the series of attacks unleashed by my Servant represented a technique called Broken Wings. It was a simple maneuver, but the attack gave the range and power needed to throw off Lancer's defense.

The series of slashes fails to reach Luviagelita, but the damage is done as several thin whips of blood fly through the air. The traces of damage on Lancer's armour prove that this Servant was lethal, even with her unusual attire. I can feel myself growing more confident as I see Luvia's expression turn from superiority to panic. However, by comparison her Servant had no such lapse in confidence. The moment Riven's attack came to an end, his spear was thrust with speed that sends his opponent's blood flying this time. Saber jumps back from her attack, holding her position. It was clear that should she try and deal a fatal blow on the Master, the Servant will end her life in turn.

"You did well in surprising my Master, but unfortunately, Saber, you have no chance of victory. That was decided I became your opponent." The man boasts, but I could tell that it was not just swagger. He had the advantage. The moment Riven hesitates, the sooner she will be slain. And as was clear already, an attempt to kill her Master would leave her open to a likely fatal strike. Based on the large slice on her side, Saber was up against a warrior of the highest order.

In a situation where victory is not possible, there is only one choice. "Saber, we're escaping!"

The moment I scream my intentions, Saber charges forth at full speed, with me right on her tail. Lancer lowers his weapon slightly, making a strong thrust that parries Saber's technique. However, rather than following up with an attempt to strike Luviagelita, she again swings to attack Lancer. And again, the attack is parried. The plan was not to do damage, but to create an opening for me. And I was taking that chance. However, it seems my rival had no intention of making it easy.

A Gandr Shot, a curse that was one of my key spells. However, the one who launched this spell was Luviagelita. The Gandr Shot was originally a spell from her family, so of course my signature move was in her list. Rather than letting her form an opening though, I fired back in my last moment on the rooftop. As I jump, Riven jumps backward and off the building as well. In mid-fall, she catches me and provides me with the assistance I need to land on my feet. But Lancer was quick.

I feel Riven let me go, her focus having rapidly shifted to blocking a downward thrust from the opponent crashing down like a meteor. Lancer was on the offensive now, leaving no openings for Riven to abuse. Another attack began a large series of collisions that sent sparks and the sound of clinking metal tearing through the air. The more he attacked, the more I came to realize that Saber was not a guaranteed victory. Not against this man.

"Master! Get away from here! You can't face this man!" Riven screams out as she is overwhelmed for just a moment, taking another deep cut below her shoulder. The wound sends a jet of crimson across the ground, reminding me that this battle was in no way in my favour. And the way Saber was speaking told me that she knew this and more.

Hundreds of possibilities filled my mind, but none of them looked good. While I had requested that Saber hold back on using her abilities too much, I was left with no choice. Stepping up and making a dash, I shout my new orders. "Riven, don't hold anything back. Use every trick you have!"

"Yes, Master!" The moment I give the order, a blast of energy not unlike the afterburners of a jet is sent hurtling through the air. The blast is intense enough that Lancer is sent off balance by the attack of pure energy. The shockwave is then followed by Saber charging for Lancer with all her might, manifesting a shield in her offhand. Another collision between the two Servants echoes into the night. For just a moment, I can almost see victory through the intense collision.

For all my confidence though, the enemy Servant was not going to simply bend over. The moment the collision shook the air, a bright golden light had begun to veil Lancer's body. A defensive ability of considerable power. Once again, the Servants were on equal footing. Yet I was not ready to give up. Riven had more to show Lancer, so I was holding back the urge to use my Command Seal. Then I heard the footsteps. Someone was running, for a moment, I considered that it was Luvia. However, the location was all wrong. Luviagelita was still on the roof. This running was from past the courtyard and very subtly masked by the loud sounds of combat. However, the fighting soon stopped at the command of Luviagelita.

"Lancer, I will be taking care of our guest. Be sure to terminate the Servant, but let the Master live. I want to see her face when I flaunt my victory!" Luvia announces before making a pompous laugh that scratches my eardrums even though she was so high up. Lancer only silently confirms, then Luviagelita enters the school. Once she was gone, I was left to slowly grasp the details of this incident.

Riven did not break her stride, thankfully acting without much regard to her Master's hesitation. In fact, it seems almost as though my loss of concentration gave her a bit more determination. As she reformed her sword into a stronger and more powerful weapon, she once again dove for Lancer in a glorious display of ferocity. Another flurry of slashes delivers several cuts into Lancer, but he matches this attack with a devastating straight thrust that just barely misses her vitals.

The cross of blood-letting strikes sobers me slightly, but my focus was far too broken by thoughts of that unfortunate bystander. By being a magus, one of my duties is to silence all those who witness my thaumaturgy. While this has always been a simple case of not being seen, I cannot help but feel a sense of guilt grow even as I contemplate winning this war. What differentiates the life of an enemy and the life of an ally to me...? I really cannot understand at this time.

Mode: Nobody

The battle between Tohsaka Rin's Servant Saber and Luviagelita Edelfelt's Servant Lancer continues to tear into the arena that had been made of the Homurahara Academy courtyard. Within the school, the witness that had seen part of the battle was being pursued, narrowly evading the numerous Gandr Shots of the laughing woman in blue. Above this battle was Genon and his own Servant of the Saber class, a pair that had uncovered this battle during their scouting over the area.

Even then there was a fourth Master and his Servant nearby, a young man being tested with the knowledge that something unreal was taking place. Shizen Tsubasa watched from a safe distance, his Servant assuring him that the three other Servants had not yet detected the two of them. As a competitor for the wish of the Holy Grail, Tsubasa hardly had the right to resist this crashing of souls that was occurring. But surely if he did nothing, death would come swiftly to those who could not best their opponents.

And not just he, but likely many other Masters were watching this battle with amusement. Among them was the hooded Servant that Tsubasa had met the night before. Another was the one that nearly took Tsubasa's life for the reason of being an unfortunate witness. And another still was the laughing madman of a Servant watching from his spot below the giant purple castle positioned over the Ryuudou Temple. One could say that all eyes were on this battle, waiting to see who would become the first casualty of the night.

"_Master, if you do not wish to see anymore, we should leave. It's likely that the moment one of them falls, another will take his place and assault the weakened winner."_ Sona's voice echoes in Tsubasa's head, only further troubling the young man who felt only trepidation.


End file.
